Finding Myself: Innocence
by EverBlueMoon
Summary: Korowa has run away from her problems a lot throughout her life. When she meets the Avatar, she travels with him and her friends to help him restore balance to the world. Along the way, she learns that she isn't the only one who has suffered. (Book 1: Water)(I don't own anything belonging to the Avatar franchise.)
1. Water and Earth

Have you ever wished of having a special ability that made you unique and different from other people? To have ultimate power and to be invincable seems like a dream come true ... at first. But I am here to tell you that it is anything but a blessing. It only brings pain and fear and causes you to hurt everything and everyone you love. I tried running away from it, but you can't run away from who you are. You can only move on and try to conceal your true nature, before it causes more devastation and suffering. I know all this because I am one of the unfortunatly gifted.

* * *

The beauty of water is how it flows. Water is constantly changing and with each current comes new opportunities. This liquid element is very calm and soothing, and even has the power to heal. However, water should never be underestimated. It can be swift and precise, a very deadly combination.

Unlike water, earth doesn't change. At least, not on it's own. It always stays the same thing. A tough and hard substance, earth has structure and balance. There is stability and strength in this dry element. But even the most immovable things can fall. And when it does, it falls with fury.

Water and Earth: two very powerful and unique elements alone, but combined they are much stronger. Most people tell me I am very fortunate to harness the two. But I know better than they do. It is a curse to possess such capability. It took away the only person who ever understood me.

My father.

His name is Kano. In my tribe, he was an outstanding warrior. Though his armed combat tactics needed major improvement, he fought with something much more efficient. Water. His waterbending skills were supreme, rivaled by only that of his waterbending instructor, Master Pakku. Even so, my father was a pretty close second.

Of course, everyone has their faults and my father was no exception. Many people refered to him as reckless and audacious. Thankfully, I have my mother's wit. Don't get me wrong, my father was a very intelligent man, but his actions were often very ill-considered. To an extent, of course, as my father would never do anything he thought would endanger anyone.

In short, my father was a creative, free spirit who wouldn't allow ujust rules control his life. For that reason, he was able to understand me like no other. My father loved me unconditionally and often went out of his way to prove it. For instance, in my tribe girls weren't taught waterbending and were instead subjected to use their abilities only for healing. But my father wouldn't stand for it. So, he taught me waterbending in secret.

We were inseperable.

That is, until the day I was to be seperated from him. At first, I thought we were leaving together to go live with my mother in the Earth Kingdom city of Ba Sing Se. I was extremely excited, for I thought my family would finally be whole. But I thought wrong. When my father told me the truth, that only I would be staying with my mother to learn earthbending and he would return to the Northern Water Tribe, I was devastated.

So devastated, I unleased all my anger through my waterbending. At that point, I couldn't control myself. Waves crashed on the side of our boat as the sea churned from my rage. A storm had formed because of me and there was nothing I could do to prevent it from destroying the boat, along with my father.

Eventually, I washed up on the shores of the Earth Kingdom, with not a clue of where I was or what to do. For days, I wandered the desert, hoping to come across some form of civilization. Soon, I collapsed underneath the burning sun. When I woke up, I was in a strange place surrounded by strange people. I asked them to take me to Ba Sing Se, and they gladly assisted me in my travels.

After seven long years, I was finally going to meet my mother.

Her name, as I found out, is Iwa. Like my father, she was very skilled in her element. But that's where their similarities ended. She was too serious and relied too much on rules. She must have been pushed by her parents to train hard as she urged me to focus and practice until I'd gotten it right. At first, I thought it'd been a mistake to come, that we would never find a way to connect. However, by the time I was eight we had gotten accustomed to each other, and grew closer together.

Soon, I had advanced greatly in my earthbending, and my training felt less pressured and more relaxed. I had successfully formed a bond with my mother, though it hadn't been as emotionally involved as my relationship with my father had been. My mother was valiant and certain, and I felt obliged to be brave just like her. My life was finally turning up for the better.

Sadly, my life could never stay so simple.

One day, we were raided in our own peacful house. Our attackers, the Dai Li, were the supposed protectors of Ba Sing Se. They were meant to keep order in the city, protect it's cultural traditions, but they led a more twisted purpose.

We were cornered, but wouldn't give up without a fight. Together, we had the Dai Li nearly defeated. Before we could escape, however, Long Feng, head of the Dai Li agents, stepped forward. He threatened to turn me in to the Fire Nation. Apparently, word had spread of a dual bender in the Earth Kingdom. Imagine what kind of threat I posed against the Fire Nation. Most likely I'd have been sentenced to death if I were captured.

So, see my mother's dilema, where she had to choose between her freedom or her only daughter's freedom. Naturally, she proceeded to protect me, as any caring mother would do, and made the deal with Long Feng. She agreed to be prisoner of the Dai Li and in return they allowed me to flee the city.

After that I was just a thirteen year old girl on the run from her past, with nothing but the clothes on my back, some spare change, and a stolen ostrich horse. I traveled from town to town, searching for a place to settle down. Of course, I made good use of my services and earned some money along the way. Eventually, I made enough to get myself across the ocean to the South Pole.

There I knew I'd be safe.


	2. The Boy in the Iceberg

Gelid wind whipped around me, carrying bits of frostbitten water along with it. Tons of frigid snow and ice packed together lay underneath me, and if it weren't for my thick, wool tunic, I would've been numb to the bone. There I sat, on the frozen tundra, hoping to channel out all my stress through meditation.

Three years had passed since my mother had been imprisoned, since I was last happy, and since I arrived in the meager village of the Southern Water Tribe. Many people were suspicious of my sudden arrival, it being that I was from the Northern Water Tribe. Apparently, they hadn't had any contact with people outside the village in a long time. Probably a fortunate thing, considering the hundred year war occurring at the moment.

The sound of fresh water streaming with the current flooded inside my ears. As the water continued to flow, the urge to manipulate it to my will overwhelmed me. When I came to the South Pole, I promised myself to keep my past in the dark, which included my bending. And though I had endured through the desire to bend so far, it hadn't been so simple.

The calming rush of the water currents suddenly turned to a jarring splash against the sharp-edged ice. My eyes opened, revealing a vibrant aqua green, to observe the commotion. I rose up from my spot on the ice, mesmerized by the change in the current's pattern.

Once I reached the edge of the ice, I extended my arm out to the coursing water. As soon as the tip of my bare finger met the icy cold liquid, the tension in it stilled. For a while, the water remained absolutely motionless. Mentally, I scolded myself for using my bending, even though it had not been intentional. Suddenly, a blinding surge of bluish-white light clouded my vision. Once it settled, I could see the source clearly. A thin beam of energy stretched through the sky from quite a distance away. It dissipated as soon as it had mysteriously appeared.

I remained in my place, awe stricken, trying to process what had just happened.

Had unearthly beings arrived in this desolate location? Or had someone ignited an explosive? Or maybe, a more reasonable idea, an enemy had set off a flare to notify Fire Nation troops of the village's location. That being the most logical explanation, I set off toward the village out of new found fear for the people.

* * *

Once in the village, I was completely perplexed. Not because my mind was lost to the panic of the townsfolk or the deserted emptiness of the village. In fact, none of that was even happening. The people went about their regular, everyday lives as though they hadn't seen the flash of light in the sky. Perhaps I had just imagined the entire situation, my mind delusional from the mind-numbing cold.

In the center of the village, an elderly woman was speaking with passersby, a concerned expression forming in her sagging wrinkles. I recognized her as Kanna, the Elder of the tribe. She seemed very distraught, so I made the decision to ask what had her so distressed.

"Kanna, is something wrong?"

Before answering, she examined me, as though she were deciding whether or not I could be trusted. I'd been getting a lot of that from the people in the village. Finally, she settled on confiding in me.

"Yes," she sighed, "my grandchildren went out to fish and they haven't returned yet. I'm worried about them."

The mention of her grandchildren interested me. Of the entire village, they were the closest things to companions that I had. Her grandson, Sokka, and I only ever talked from time to time, which considerably wasn't much. Her grand-daughter Katara, however, was the only person there who trusted me. She believed that I came from the North to help them. She believed everything I'd told them about my past. I wonder what it's like to be so innocent and naive.

I noticed how concerned Kanna was for her family. We had that much in common.

"Would you feel better if I help you, just until they come back?" I offered.

At first she seemed skeptical, still unsure if she could rely on me. Eventually, she came to terms and accepted my proposal.

So, for the next couple hours, until around evening, I assisted Kanna with her chiefly duties. We mainly tended to the people's needs. Most times explaining the current food supply, other times repairing a fallen hut or filling in a fissure in the village's remaining walls. However, nobody seemed all too satisfied with being aided by me. Kanna, on the other hand, actually somewhat appreciated my support. At times she even smiled, a rare gift I never received from anyone in the village.

As the day grew old, I was dismissed from my responsibilities. I decided to savor my break and watch the setting sun at the village entrance. What I enjoy most of every day is the way the cool sky blue colors melt away when kissed by the fiery rays of the sun. It's the beauty of nature that always manages to lift my spirits. I absolutely admire all flora and fauna. Possibly because they always seem so peaceful to me.

Only just minutes later, a new silhouette appeared in the distance, outlined by the golden sunset. It seemingly grew in size, coming closer toward the village, which alarmed me. Before long, the mysterious figure reached the entrance of the village. What I saw was a gargantuan furry monster, with six legs that could easily squash me. The creature had sharp horns protruding from it's head and ivory fur with brown stripes aligned on it's back and tail, forming an arrow on it's forehead. I made sure to keep my distance.

On the beast's back lay a large saddle, and it wasn't empty. Inside stood a young girl with beige skin and dark brown hair styled in a braid. Next to her was a boy with similar features, except his short hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Both were wearing the traditional deep blue overcoats of the Water Tribe.

Katara and Sokka.

Katara joyfully waved down at me, as if the enormous beast carrying her was completely normal.

"What is that thing!" I shouted up at them, backing away cautiously. A stillness set about the village as all the surrounding women and children paused in their endeavors to gawk at the extraordinary sight.

"This is Appa. He's a flying bison," Katara clarified cheerfully. I frowned disappointedly, having been hoping for a more thorough explanation. Though the flying part she mentioned did intrigue me.

"By the way, it doesn't actually fly," Sokka dead-panned, to which I loured at. He always has to drain the wonder out of everything. Katara also wore an unamused glare directed at her brother. Then she slid down Appa's platypus-like tail.

In her arms lay a thin young boy, with blue arrow tattoos marked along his arms, legs, and forehead, fast asleep. He wore strange garb colored orange and yellow, indicating he wasn't from the Water Tribe. I frowned a muddled frown at the boy, flummoxed as to who he was and where he was from.

"And who is he, might I ask?"

As I spoke, Sokka tumbled down Appa's tail, gathered himself and straightened his parka, and nonchalantly sauntered over to Katara and I.

"This is Aang. He's an airbender."

With that, my eyes widened, glancing between Katara ad the slumbering child. Airbenders were believed to be extinct ever since the Fire Nation killed them all one hundred years ago. I stared down at the supposed airbender in disbelief. But Katara continued to speak with no regard for my utter shock.

"He fell asleep during the ride over here. I can't blame him, though. Being stuck in that iceberg must have exhausted him." Katara mindlessly wandered toward her hut, lost in her own world, all the while subtly doting over Aang.

I couldn't believe my ears, as much as they kept insisting what I heard was true. Not only was he an airbender, but he was apparently frozen in ice. It amazed me how such an ordinary day could become so surreal in just one evening. I needed some confirmation, just incase I did hear wrong.

"I'm sorry, my ears must be clogged," I looked over at Sokka, "Did she just say he was frozen in an iceberg?"

"Yep," Sokka replied, his expression as stoic as ever.

Immediately, I was overwhelmed. This just added to the tons of stress I was already trying to balance on my shoulders, from the regret I felt for my parents to the shame the village had set upon me. I could practically feel the weight of it crashing down on me.

"Airbenders, flying bison, icebergs, this is all too much for me," I sighed, already weary from how hard I worked throughout the day. "I'm going to sleep. Wake me up when things make sense again."

* * *

The next morning I woke up hoping everything would be normal and that the other day had been just some freaky dream. I peered out of my hut only to see that Appa was still there, meaning Aang was real as well, despite my wishes. Gradually, I left the comfort of my humble tent. Fresh daylight blurred my vision and slightly burned my eyes. On instinct, I raised my hands to shield my eyes from the sun. When I uncovered them, I was surprised to see Katara.

Without a word, she whisked me away to the center of the village. There I joined a gathered crowd, anxiousness written on their faces. I, on the other hand, was very confused and a bit somnolent. Before I could ask, though, Katara ran off again, leaving me with unanswered questions.

At the other side of the crowd I spotted Sokka, sitting next to his hut. Seeing that I knew no one else, I decided to go over to him.

"What's going on?" I inquired while yawning tiredly.

For the first time, Sokka actually smiled, slightly though, amused by my drowsy state. "Everyone's waiting here to meet that airbender kid," he explained impatiently. Sokka wasn't quite content with Aang being in the village. He trusted him much less than the entire village trusted me, which is saying a lot.

As I expected, Katara came dragging Aang out of her hut, clutching onto his wrist as he was pulled helplessly along. In Aang's free hand was a strange stick with perfectly carved edges that vaguely reminded me of a walking cane used by elderly people. They stopped in front of the gathered villagers.

"Aang, _this_ is the entire village. Entire village, Aang," Katara introduced.

Aang bowed to the women and children present respectfully, pressing his knuckles together. However, everyone was wary of the strange-looking airbender and they backed away, keeping their children close. I could imagine how confused and hurt Aang must have felt. At least, that was how I felt every time someone stared after me unapprovingly.

"Uh, why are they all looking at me like that? Did Appa sneeze on me?" Aang asked Katara, inspecting his clothes. Definitely not the reaction I had expected from him.

Kanna stepped forward from the crowd. "Well, no one has seen an airbender in a hundred years. We thought they were extinct, until my granddaughter and grandson found you," she explained to Aang, the whole time her face expressionless.

Aang simply blinked, taking in the news all at once.

"Extinct?" was all he could manage to say. Curiously, he sounded particularly confused by this bit of information, but surely he was already aware of the destruction of his people. It couldn't be unknown to him that he was possibly the last airbender in existence, could it? However, Aang's puzzlement went unnoticed by everyone else, and he was left to move on.

"Aang, this is my grandmother," Katara told him, indicating toward Kanna, who in turn responded by saying, "Call me Gran-Gran."

I trudged over to Aang, ready to introduce myself, the fresh morning snow crunching underneath my boots. "Hi, my name is Korowa," I offered him my hand. He gladly shook my outstretched arm, exhibiting an optimistic attitude. A joyful grin stretched across his face and I returned the gesture uncomfortably, being accustomed to harsh judgment from unforgiving faces. "Call me Kori."

Sokka abruptly stomped over from behind me, a snappish expression on his face. He snatched Aang's stick out of his hands, earning a frown from the young boy.

"What is this, a weapon? You can't _stab_ anything with this!" Sokka remarked testily while examining the stick.

"It's not for stabbing!" Aang airbent his stick back into his own hands. "It's for airbending," he explained. Then, as if by mystical means, man-made wings emerged from the stick. Sokka gasped in fright, flailing his arms, not expecting that to happen. The village children, however, were intrigued by it.

"Magic trick! Do it again!" one little girl, standing next to a polar bear dog, exclaimed excitedly. Others laughed in amusement.

"Not magic, airbending," Aang insisted, though I'm sure they still thought it magic. "It lets me control the air currents around my glider and fly." I peered at Aang skeptically. After all, the idea of him being able to fly was a bit far-fetched.

"You know, last time I checked, humans _can't fly_!" Sokka rebuked while folding his arms across his chest distrustfully.

"Check again!" Aang riposted. He gripped onto his glider before flying up, using airbending to shoot a burst of air from his feet. He soared through the air, performing tricks for everyone to see. To my surprise, some women awed at the sight, no longer mistrustful of the airbender. Aang swooped down and back up, just to hear the people wonderstruck again. He had a huge grin plastered on his face. It was short-lived, however, as he crashed into a snow structure. He struggled to free his head, eventually popping it out and plummeting backward.

Katara and I rushed over to him while Sokka whined about the destruction of his watch tower.

"That was _amazing_!" Katara marveled as she helped Aang out of the snow pile he'd fallen in. Sokka patted his watch tower, bemoaning the damage, when a heap of snow fell on him.

I raced over to Sokka, a delighted smirk playing on my lips. "Need some help?" I chuckled. Sokka glared at me through the snow, but still accepted my assistance.

"Great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender. Together you can just waist time _all_ day long," Sokka disparaged as he brushed the snow off of his clothes.

"Sokka, bending isn't a waist of time," I argued, getting defensive. "It's an unique art that is as old as time itself." My voice was serious and fierce, but managed a soft and calm tone. I don't understand why I was getting so upset, after all I've hated my abilities since I lost my parents. But there was a time when I adored how special they made me. I should've stopped talking then, but my true nature had already come out. "You're just jealous because you can't bend."

Sokka furrowed his eyebrows. "You can't bend either," he reminded me. His comment caught me by surprise. For a moment, I had forgotten the lie that I was living. Now my presumptuous attitude declined and I could feel blood heating up my cheeks.

"Oh, right," I mumbled, barely above a whisper.

Sokka simply ignored my humiliation and left to prep the village boys on being warriors. Honestly, I don't know where he thought he was going with that. Those children never stood to listen to anyone.

Meanwhile, a few feet behind me Aang had frozen his tongue to his glider. This made the children observing laugh with glee. One even tried pulling the glider off his tongue, much to Aang's discomfort. I couldn't decide whether it was funny or plainly immature. Whichever one it was, it did manage to lighten my mood.

* * *

Later on during the day I found myself watching Sokka train his recruits. Basically Sokka was just lecturing the kids, who couldn't make it more obvious how uninterested they were with the fifteen year-old. It wasn't exactly the most progressive thing for me to be doing at the moment, but it was either that or wallow in self-pity about how my life had turned out so far. And I was getting weary of the latter.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender," Sokka discoursed, all the while pacing back and forth. "In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing! For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?" I nearly burst out laughing. From his serious expression to his well thought out speech, it seemed as though Sokka thought he was dealing with adult men. Alas, he was not, as they were in fact children.

One little boy raised his hand. "I gotta pee!" he stated blatantly. A small giggle escaped my throat, as I found the entire situation quite hilarious.

At this point, Sokka's frustration was beginning to show, and his patience was thinning. "Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on _you_ to be the men of this tribe, and that means _no potty breaks_!" Sokka was fuming now and I could imagine steam pouring out his ears.

"But I really gotta go!"

Sokka caved in and sighed. "Okay, who else has to go?" he inquired.

Of the six present, each of them shot up their tiny gloved hands. Sokka slapped his head in vexation and the little boys interpreted it as an affirmative that they could leave.

"Ungrateful little monsters," Sokka muttered under his breath as the children scattered away.

"Lighten up, Sokka," I told him while moving forth, "They're just kids." He grumbled in response, indicating there was no hope for his negativity. I sighed just as Katara came up to us.

"Have you seen Aang? Gran-Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago," Katara asked. As if to answer her, Aang crawled out of an igloo latrine, pulling his pants up a bit higher.

"Wow! _Everything_ freezes in there," Aang remarked. Immediately, all the children gravitated toward him, amused by his childishness, giggling at the airbender's comment. I, however, was slightly disgusted by his utterance.

"Ugh! Katara, get him out of here!" Sokka commanded, his exasperation increasing. I couldn't blame him though. With those kids, he couldn't catch a break, and Aang wasn't making it any better. "This lesson is for warriors _only_!"

In the distance, the joyous cries of a child could be heard. Aang had the little boys sliding off Appa's tail, which was propped up, into a mound of snow. Katara and I chortled at the sight. However, Sokka wasn't entertained by it. He lumbered over to them yelling for them to stop.

"Stop! Stop it right now! What's wrong with you?" he asked Aang, infuriated. We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on." Katara and I followed after Sokka's arguing had ceased.

"What war?" Aang asked, breezily descending from Appa's saddle. "What are you talking about?"

"You're kidding, right?" Sokka queried, quirking his eyebrow skeptically.

I was uncertain of Aang's solemnity as well. Even though it never concerned me much, the attacks from the Fire Nation were still pretty obvious. There's no possible way Aang couldn't have noticed the war that had been going on for one hundred years, right? But no sooner were my doubts proven.

"Penguin!" Aang hollered, very loudly might I add. The act was so sudden that all my senses activated on high alert and a slender stream of water began to rise from the snowy ground toward my palm. I quickly suppressed it, though, hoping it had gone unnoticed.

Over on a bank of snow behind us stood a lone otter penguin. It stared at Aang with wide eyes, then waddled out of sight. Aang bolted after it, leaving a snow cloud trail behind him.

"He's kidding, right?" Sokka reiterated.

"For a kid who just screamed 'penguin' for no absolute reason, I don't think he's kidding," I replied uncertainly. Sokka squinted his eyes at me, with a 'seriously' look on his face. As I replied with a defiant smirk of my own, Katara set off in the same direction Aang left.

"Where are you going?" I asked her.

"To talk to Aang," Katara answered, "I'm hoping maybe he'll teach me waterbending."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Good idea. Except, he's an airbender. How could he possibly teach you waterbending?" _I could teach_ _you_ _waterbending,_ I thought. _But how good of a teacher would I be, what with all the lies I've sold_ _you._

"I don't know," Katara admitted, "but this could be my only chance to find a teacher. I have to at least ask." Katara's voice seemed dispirited and despairing. But that couldn't have been, for Katara was perhaps the most hopeful person I knew, something about her I admired a lot. And in her blue eyes I could see a spark of hope, which brought a smile to my lips.

As Katara left to search for the young airbender, I reflected on the past three years I'd spent in the South Pole. I'd said I had come to help, but rarely did I ever do much to assist. I was wondering what I could do to chip in when I noticed Sokka attempting to wrangle up the little boys, who were in turn evading his grasp.

I chuckled as Sokka gave up, kneeling on the snow covered ground, growling in frustration.

Graciously, I strode over to the cluster of children. "Alright, you've had enough fun. Now it's time to train to be warriors," I insisted anxiously. Little children aren't really in my area of expertise, though I was still much more skilled with them then Sokka.

As expected, they rejected the idea. I glanced over my shoulder at Sokka, who was miserably slumped by his tent, staring at his boomerang sadly. The one his father gave him.

With one ounce of confidence left I inspired the crisp, glacial air, then exhaled all my goodwill.

"Sokka may be unbearable," I acknowledged, and the boys indefinitely agreed amongst each other. "But none of you will find a better mentor than him. You guys want to be strong, brave men, right?" I inquired. Reluctantly, each of them conceded in my query. I smiled warmly to reassure them they needn't be so nervous. "Then please give him a chance."

Gradually, they plodded over to Sokka. They presented their apologies and pleaded for his pardon. A flicker of contentment enlivened my heart as a wide grin spread across Sokka's face. He gandered over at me with a grateful expression. But his joyful position was short-lived as something unexpected occurred.

A piercing screech sounded from far away. To my horror, a blazing, fiery flare arched in the sky. Trailing behind it was a line of smoke, coming from the same direction as an old abandoned Fire Navy ship that the villagers and myself quite resented.

"Oh no," I breathed, full of dread, as I already knew who had set it off.


	3. The Avatar Returns

The flare still lingered in the air, lazily descending from the yellowing sky. After it had been shot, the entire village gathered at the front, waiting for Aang and Katara to return. Sokka was ready to yell at the airbender and Kanna ready to scold her granddaughter. The village children impatiently anticipated Aang's return. As for myself, I was neither furious nor pleased with the both of them.

Finally, Aang and Katara returned, leisurely treading down a hill of snow. "Yay!" the children cheered, some of them scurrying over to welcome Aang, "Aang's back!" Aang gladly embraced them, the children crowding around him gleefully, while Katara watched with an anxious expression.

Sokka broke from the line of villagers and stepped forward toward the duo. His glaring, scathing eyes were directed at Aang. "I knew it! You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare!" he accused bitterly, angrily pointing his finger at Aang. Aang and Katara proceeded closer to the cluster of women and children. "You're leading them straight to us, aren't you?"

"Aang didn't do anything!" Katara defended, her eyes locked in a hard gaze. "It was an accident."

"Yeah," Aang began explaining, "We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well..." Aang faltered slightly, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck anxiously. "... we booby-ed right into it." All the surrounding children stared at Aang in innocent confusion.

"Katara," Kanna spoke, disappointment and worry edging her tone, "You shouldn't have gone on that ship. Now we could all be in danger!" Katara's eyes stiffened further as her grandmother rebuked her.

"Don't blame Katara," Aang quickly vindicated, "I brought her there. It's my fault." I gazed proudly at the twelve year old as he accepted full responsibility. Not many his age would be so willing to do so.

"Aha!" Sokka vociferated sharply, anger poisoning his manner, "The traitor confesses!" The once cheerful children now began to sadly traipse away while Sokka continued his rant. "Warriors, away from the enemy. The foreigner is banished from our village."

For a few seconds, I peered at the retreating children, some glancing back at Aang sorrowfully. Aang looked at them with a similar expression. As for Katara, she appeared more livid then I'd ever seen her. It wasn't an ordinary characteristic for the young waterbender and I didn't appreciate it. Vexation dominated my mind and I thrust my anger at Sokka.

"Sokka, that's enough! End this now!"

Sokka swiveled around, his cross expression fixed on me. "No! He's the enemy! He betrayed us! He signaled the Fire Navy!" Sokka ranted harshly, aggravating both Katara and myself even more.

"Sokka, you're making a mistake!" Katara disputed, her fists clenched at her sides.

"No, I'm keeping my promise to dad," Sokka disagreed stubbornly, "I'm protecting you, from threats like him!"

I took a moment to contemplate Sokka's claim. How, in any way, is Aang threatening? To start, he is much too innocent and nice, qualities that wouldn't fare him well in a fight. Also, he is too puerile for his own good. Someone so immature couldn't handle something as serious as a real-life brawl. And besides, air isn't exactly the most powerful of all four elements, no offense. Though, admittedly, that would depend on how well an airbender Aang is and, judging by his tattoos, he appears to have mastered his element. So, I guess, in a sense, Aang could be threatening, if he wanted to be, but he's too nice to ever purposefully hurt an innocent.

"Aang is _not_ our enemy!" Katara stated heatedly, then calmed down some to continue. "Don't you see? Aang's brought us something we haven't had in a long time: fun." She was right. The airbender did seem to have brought on a new light to the village. Last time I had fun was before nine years ago. Before I lost my father. Faint memories of him carrying me atop his shoulders as I cheered joyfully flashed through my mind.

"Fun?!" Sokka questioned skeptically in an annoyed tone, "We can't fight firebenders with fun!"

"You should try it sometime," Aang suggested optimistically. It caused me to giggle briefly, and Sokka's anger to further.

"Get out of our village!" Sokka demanded furiously, his eyes squinted in ire, " _Now_!"

"Grandmother, please," Katara pleaded, advancing closer to Kanna, " _Don't_ let Sokka do this." I anticipated Kanna's answer hopefully, finding that I had grown fond of the airbender in the short time that I have gotten to know him.

"Katara, you knew going on that ship was forbidden," Kanna censured impassively. "Sokka is right. I think it best if the airbender leaves." All hope I had shrunk at her words, my shoulders slumping in disappointment as I gave up. After all, there's never been anything I could do about anything I wanted. Unlike myself, however, Katara didn't give up so easily.

"Fine!" Katara fumed with a shout, "Then I'm banished too!" I watched with glassy eyes as the situation became extensively intense, Katara storming away, dragging Aang toward Appa. "Come on Aang, let's go." As subtle as it was, I could still hear her voice nearly break under so much emotional stress.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Sokka requested bitterly.

"To find a waterbender," Katara replied without facing her brother, "Aang is taking _me_ to the North Pole." A small chill ran down my spine as she mentioned my home.

"I am?" Aang inquired innocently, "That's great!"

"Katara!" Sokka called, catching both Katara and Aang's attention. "Would you really choose him over your own tribe? Your own family?" As unreasonable as Sokka can be, this time he was actually right. Katara had a difficult decision on her hands, either outcome ending with someone very disappointed. She glanced sadly at the bunch behind her, at Sokka and Kanna, and then at me. I responded with a woeful look of my own casted in her direction. Of course I didn't want her, my only friend, to leave, but that wasn't up to me.

However, the decision was made for her. Aang trudged in front of Katara dejectedly. "Katara, I don't want to come between you and your family," the airbender said in understanding, a saddened look upon his features. He then moved on over to Appa.

"So, you're leaving the South Pole?" Katara inquired sadly with wide eyes, her voice just above a whisper. "This is goodbye."

"Thanks for penguin sledding with me," Aang said, avoiding having to answer her question. It would only sadden her further.

"Where will you go?"

"Guess I'll go back home and look for the airbenders," Aang replied, placing one hand on Appa before his expression softened in realization. "Wow, I haven't cleaned my room in a hundred years. Not looking forward to _that_."

I stared at him with wide turquoise eyes. One hundred years? He couldn't possibly be that old, unless he were the Avatar, which would be preposterous. The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago when... My eyes widened even more in realization and I watched Aang in disbelief as he spun around, airbending himself onto his bison's head.

"It was nice meeting everyone."

"Let's see your bison fly now, _airboy_ ," Sokka lambasted, folding his arms across his chest. I smacked his shoulder with the back of my hand, glaring at him spitefully. He simply huffed in response, rubbing his now sore shoulder.

"Come on, Appa. You can do it. Yip-yip!" Aang encouraged his bison, but to no avail. Appa growled as he stood, never leaving the icy ground.

"Yeah, I thought so!" Sokka criticized mockingly. A young little girl suddenly ran forward, screaming in disapproval. She stopped just beside Katara and looked up at Aang pleadingly.

"Aang, don't go! I'll miss you!" she implored, her wide eyes glossy with sadness.

"I'll miss you, too," Aang told the girl, although as he said this he stared intently at Katara instead of the young child. She held his gaze with morose, sapphire eyes as her hair loops swayed in the wind.

"Come on, boy," Aang said, shifting the reins as he led Appa away.

After he was out of view, disappearing behind the snow hill, the little girl plodded away from Katara with a soft whine of sorrow, joining the receding villagers. Katara, though, remained in place, staring at the vacant hill where the giant flying bison had stood, as if she expected him to return with Aang atop his large head. Kanna past the small girl as she walked up to her granddaughter.

"Katara," Kanna began in a consoling tone, facing the waterbender's back, "You'll feel better after you-" She was interrupted, however, as Katara swiveled around abruptly, glaring intensely.

"You happy now?" Katara asked irately, "There goes my one chance at becoming a waterbender!" Katara marched away from her grandmother furiously. I silently watched with a pained heart as Katara stormed past me, leaving Kanna to stare after her granddaughter's retreating back with saddened eyes. As her gaze rested on me, it stiffened into a subtle glare, as if I had been at fault for Katara's outburst.

Beside me, Sokka began barking orders at the young warriors in training. "Alright, ready our defenses!" he instructed, "The Fire Nation could be on our shores any moment now!" One boy paused at the village entrance, urgently dancing in place as he raised his hand.

"But I gotta-" he began to say before Sokka waspishly cut him off.

"And _no_ potty breaks!" Sokka shouted as he pointed for the boy to leave. I nervously gulped before inhaling a huge amount of chilly air.

"Sokka, I was wondering," I stuttered, struggling to even keep my words above a whisper. One could wonder what could possibly have possessed such an assertive and composed young lady to act so timidly.

"What is it?" he demanded impatiently, obviously still peeved about what Aang had done and how I had defended him.

"Well, I was wondering if I could help," I mumbled, staring at the toes of my boots. Suddenly, they seemed so interesting at the moment. Besides, it was better I looked at them than at Sokka's harsh, angry eyes.

"You can help by getting everyone inside their homes before the Fire Navy gets here," Sokka responded, turning around to leave. Almost instantly, my eyes forced my head up to look at him. _But I want to fight_ , I thought as my stance stiffened and I no longer felt anxious.

"I meant I want to help defend the village from the Fire Nation!" I shouted fiercely. As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I regretted screaming so loudly. But, then again, it's not my fault if I have a bit of a temper. "If there are firebenders coming, then you're going to need all the help you can get."

"What? You want to fight?" Sokka questioned as he faced me again, a shocked expression appearing on his face. It was soon replaced by one of stubborn anger. "No! Girls can't fight! Only men can, such as myself. Girls are supposed to cook and clean and sew."

With that, my temper flared again. The normally calm and peaceful depths of my soul changed to a fiery inferno. "Honestly, Sokka! Get it through your thick, thick skull," I raged, scowling at him angrily. "I am so much more capable than you give me credit for. And so is every other girl in the world." With my head bowed slightly, I glared up at Sokka and muttered, "Katara is right. You're just a negative, miserable, sexist pig who doesn't know how to have _any fun_!"

As I yelled the last bit, the ice surrounding me began to tremble and several cracks formed in it. Sokka gawked at me with large steel blue eyes, shifting his gaze between me and the splintered ground at my feet. Quickly, I stomped away back into the village, forcefully bumping shoulders with Sokka, just in case he didn't get the point.

* * *

Each passing minute felt like an hour as I now stood in the village, waiting for the Fire Navy to arrive. My eyes were locked on the horizon, searching for any danger, and they weren't content with ever looking away. Throughout my life, I hadn't had to worry much about the Fire Nation; the war, it hadn't taken any affect on me. But one time, when I lived in Ba Sing Se, the Fire Nation had organized a siege. There I was, in the Earth Kingdom's most secure city, and the very lives of it's citizens were in peril. The Fire Nation almost succeeded, too, but for some reason they just stopped, their forces fell back, and Ba Sing Se was safe once again. Now here I am, waiting for the Fire Nation to come and attack all these innocent people, as if they haven't already destroyed enough lives.

A murky fog surrounded the outskirts of the village, with Sokka surveying every inch of the mist-covered land, sporting a water tribal warrior's outfit, complete with a mask of warrior's face paint. In that cloudy haze, I could spot the faintest glow, a small orb of light. Gasps sounded all throughout the village as the thick ice beneath our feet began to quake, growing stronger by the second.

As one of Sokka's watchtowers crumbled, I couldn't help but wonder what could possibly be causing such a commotion. All the people scattered, fleeing to the center of the village. Then I saw it. The largest naval ship I have ever seen, or rather the only one I've ever seen for that matter. The hull of the ship split through the ice with ease, advancing closer and closer to the village. A wide crevice opened inside the village's barriers.

A short cry of distress snapped me out of my everlasting gaze, and I shifted my attention to a young boy kneeling on the ground, the fissure slowly reaching it's way toward him, ready to gulp him up like a mid-afternoon snack. Luckily, Katara rushed over and scooped him up just before the ground gave way underneath him. Katara hurried over to the tent I was standing next to, setting the boy down as he scurried inside.

Just then, the ship finally reached the village borders, with Sokka dead in the middle of it's path. "Sokka, get out of the way!" Katara hollered at him, but he remained frozen in trepidation.

"Sokka," I shouted, "Get your sorry butt out of there before you get hurt!" The ship neared closer and Sokka raised his club in a last attempt to protect himself. My heart nearly ceased beating as Sokka stood there, helpless to his inevitable demise. Thankfully, when the ship breached through the village wall all that happened was the wall merely collapsed, Sokka sliding down along with the crumpling snow. I let out the huge breath I was holding, relieved he wasn't hurt.

A large burst of hot air seeped out from inside the ship, mixing with the polar air and creating steam. Both Katara and I gasped as the bowsprit lowered, more steam escaping from it. Sokka stumbled backwards, trying not to be crushed by the bowsprit, tripping just as it made contact with the snowy ground. The rest of the village remained eerily silent, not characteristic of it's usual humble bustling.

Many of the children shuddered in fear as several men, clad in Fire Nation army uniforms, appeared from inside the ship, marching down the bowsprit. They were about halfway down the walkway when Sokka, being the idiot he is, charged toward them, club extended above his head. The lead soldier in the middle, who actually looked to be about my age, swiftly kicked up his right leg, easily knocking the club out of Sokka's hands. Then he shoved Sokka with his foot, causing the fifteen year-old to fall head first into the mass of snow.

Without thinking, I rushed over to Sokka, passing the group of Fire Nation soldiers. The teenager who had assaulted Sokka glanced at me as I ran, and I glared into his own golden irises. Once I reached the heap of snow, I scrambled up to the top. Finally, I made my way to Sokka, whose legs were flailing in a pathetic attempt to free himself. I griped onto his ankles, tugging with all my might, hoping to pull him out. Unfortunately, it didn't work, and I heard a muffled indignant shouting from underneath the snow.

Just then, a thought suddenly occurred to me. If I were to use my bending I could easily free him for sure. I glanced around nervously, making sure no one was watching, before raising my arms. Then I breathed in sharply and exhaled through my nose, beginning to separate the snow particles encasing Sokka's head. My plan worked and Sokka plopped onto his back with a thump.

I crouched down by his side, lifting him up into a sitting position. "Are you okay?" I inquired worriedly, brushing off some snow that had remained on his shoulder. His warrior face paint had been smeared off in the snow.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he sighed, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," I said with a warm smile, which slowly molded into a guilty frown. After what just had happened, the pain that was inflicted on Sokka, I really regretted the argument from earlier. "Sokka, I'm sorry I yelled at you before, about not letting me fight."

"It's alright," he replied, rubbing the back of his head, which was undoubtedly cold and sore. "I probably deserved it."

Meanwhile, the soldiers had stopped in front of the villagers, who were paralyzed in terror. The leader moved closer to the group of Water Tribe civilians and surveyed the crowd, searching for something, but what?

Then he walked over in front of Katara and Kanna and demanded, "Where are you hiding him?" No one answered him, of course, for they hadn't a clue who he was talking about. Suddenly, he abruptly reached into the crowd, causing Katara to flinch, and dragged Kanna out by the hood of her parka. "He'd be about this age! Master of _all_ elements!"

Realization dawned on me and I gasped, now knowing exactly who he was referring to. The teen then thrust Kanna back into the crowd and Katara clasped her arms around her terrified grandmother, scowling at the angry boy. With his patience growing thin, he sent a blazing arc of fire at the villagers. While the adults shielded their faces to protect themselves, the children screamed, frightened by the fire.

"I _know_ you're hiding him!" the teenager growled threateningly.

From beside me, Sokka arose from the snow pile and raced forward, picking up his club and charging at the Fire Nation teen, letting out a warrior's battle cry. Hearing the fifteen year-old's shriek, the leader was ready for him and ducked, allowing Sokka to trip over him and fall flat on his butt. Then the teenager switched to the offensive side, firing a blast at Sokka who in turn dodged the attack by rolling to his right. Landing in a crouch, Sokka unsheathed his boomerang and launched it at the firebender. The sharp weapon narrowly missed him, instead flying off into the distance, never to be seen again.

"Show no fear!" a little boy encouraged, tossing a whale-toothed spear to Sokka.

Sokka caught the spear then rushed toward the teenager, the spear pointed at him. However, the teen simply thwarted Sokka's attack by chopping the spear into pieces with his forearms, then snatched the remaining end of the spear and repeatedly jabbed Sokka's forehead with it. He then angrily snapped the spear end in half, discarding both halves into the snow.

High in the sky, I caught sight of a glint of light. Squinting my eyes, I could see that it was Sokka's boomerang, which had returned. It struck the back of the leader's head, emitting a loud clang as it made contact with his helmet. He groaned in pain from the impact, then quickly regained his balance, snarling at Sokka. The teenager clenched his fists, producing two fire daggers from them.

Out of panic, I rushed down the snow hill, gathering a scoop of snow along the way. I compacted the snow into a perfect sphere, blowing on it for good luck. And by that I mean I blew a coat of ice around the snowball. Just before the teen was about to lash out at Sokka, I hurled the snowball at him. My aim was perfect, snow and ice exploding on the back of his helmet, causing him to stumble forward. After steadying himself, he whirled around to face me.

"Leave him alone!" I shouted fiercely.

The teen eyed me furiously. "And what are you going to do about it, little girl?" he challenged, shifting into a fighting stance.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and focused on the chi swirling inside me. The energy coursed through my veins, strengthening me with it's power. Melting the snow in front of me, I pulled up a stream of water and let it twist around me. As where the villagers gasped in awe, Katara and Sokka gaped at me, disbelief glimmering in their eyes. I particularly avoided Katara's gaze, anticipating there to be hurt and betrayed feelings swarming in her bright blue orbs.

At my command, the elegant spiral of water surged forward, slamming into the firebender and successfully knocking him over. Growling with anger, the teen swiftly pushed himself into an upright position, then shot several fireballs at me. To protect myself, I bended a shield of water from the snow in front of me. The fire blasts dissipated upon contact with the water as well as my shield, which evaporated into steam. All that was left was a small globe of water, but I still found use for it. I launched the water at the teenager, clenching my fist so that it froze into a thick needle of ice.

The ice needle hurtled past the teen, nearly skewering his head in the process, instead piercing into the snowy ground just inches away from Sokka. The teenager glared at me harshly, his hatred for me most certainly clear. He fired his own element at me, and if I hadn't produced a wall of ice from the snow, I would've been scorched. The teen continued to blast more fire at me, each impact of flames forcing back my wall of ice slightly. The immense heat began to melt my wall, and there was nothing I could do to prevent it from exploding into a million shards of ice, the force from the impact sending me flying backwards.

All the air escaped my lungs as I was thrust against the heap of snow behind me. As I rolled down the hill, I felt utterly powerless and exhausted, my strength completely vanquished. I could only watch helplessly as two Fire Nation soldiers marched up to my limp form, each one clasping onto my arms and lifting me upright. My legs felt like jelly, so sore and weak I could barely stand. I even struggled to lift my head, my now lose ash-brown hair pooling around my shoulders as the teen came to a stop in front of me, and I glared up at him coldly.

"Take her to the prison hold," he ordered bitterly, staring into my own sea-green orbs with ire. I hung my head low as the soldiers began to carry me up the bowsprit. Despondently, I glanced back at Katara and Sokka, hoping their faces would cheer me up, but they didn't. Sokka's expression was filled with worry and sorrow, and Katara's wasn't any better. She had her gloved hands covering her mouth as tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes glistened with despair and woe. Knowing this would be my last glimpse of them, I gave them a warm, thin smile, hoping to assure them that everything would be fine. Then the siblings disappeared from my view as I was engulfed by darkness.

* * *

Darkness. That was all I could see. A pitch-black shadow accompanied by a loud, metallic groaning that came from the ship as it swayed along with the rough sea. Then there was the sound the chains linked to my wrists made, rattling as I strained to free myself. But it was no use, the chains were bolted to the walls of my cell, and they weren't going anywhere.

I paused in my endeavors to rest and catch my breath, the heavy heaving of my chest echoing inside the small chamber. Tiny claws scattering across the floor sounded out from the corner of my cell. Out of the shadows appeared a small figure that I could make out as an elephant rat. The furry creature seemed to sniff the ground thoroughly before crawling over to me and standing up on it's hind legs. I could manage two shiny black beads peering up at me in the darkness. He then quickly scampered around me and continued his search for scraps and crumbs.

A new sound echoed throughout the prison hold, an eerie grating as metal scraped against metal. When I saw a bright, fiery light illuminate the halls, it was clear someone had entered the chamber I was in. The glow became stronger and stronger, and soon it stopped right before me.

With the light, which I now knew was coming from a lantern, aiding my vision, I could see my visitor clearly. He wore a pale maroon robe with armor over it covering his shoulders, chest, and upper back. His hair was long and gray, suggesting he was of old age, and part of it was tied into a knot atop his balding head. He had amber eyes and sideburns growing from his light-colored cheeks, and a goatee sprouting from his chin, too. To top it off, he had on a warm, inviting smile, making him seem serene and kind. But I didn't let it fool me. Every man from the Fire Nation is cruel and deceitful.

"What do you want from me?" I growled venomously, "Or have you just come to gloat because you're free to do as you please while I'm bound by these chains?" Never would I have imagined I could sound so rotten and hateful, but when I looked inside my heart, I could only feel spite and, curiously, fear that was masked by revulsion, with anger as my poison. For only just minutes I had been on this ship, and already these people had molded me into an aura of hate.

"Please, relax," the man urged. His voice sounded sagely and gave the impression that he was wise beyond his years. "I simply wish to talk. I am a friend." What could he possibly want to talk about? And what did he mean by 'friend'? Perhaps that was just an alternative way of saying he had come to interrogate me, to catch me off my guard. But rule number one of running from your past: always stay alert.

"How can I be sure I can trust you?" I inquired. No matter what he would say, I already knew I couldn't trust him. That's rule number two: trust no one. And I still held on to that belief, even when he pulled out a small silver trinket. A thin metal stick with a rung at the tip of it and two short bars protruding from the other end.

A key. Specifically, the key to my cell. The key to my freedom.

"You want to let me out," I registered, easily figuring out his intention. Only thing was, I couldn't understand what for. "Why?"

"Because this is no place for a lady," he replied simply. _Okay, but I'm your prisoner. Doesn't that kind of rule that part out. "_ If you'd like, I could move you to a much more comfortable sleeping quarters," the old man offered, stretching the word sleeping. _Great. So I'_ _ve_ _got the once-in-a-lifetime chance to upgrade from this poor quality cell. I must be so lucky._

"So basically you want to move me from one cell to another," I remarked vacantly.

"Well, when you put it that way," he trailed off, stroking his goatee in thought. After taking a good five seconds to ponder it over, he finally answered with a sprightful 'yes'.

"But only if you want to," he added quickly, "The decision is yours to make."

Was there really any choice? Staying where I am guaranteed I'd never taste freedom again. And that's something I'm not willing to give up. But if I agreed to the old man's proffer, then I'd have the chance of escape. Eternal imprisonment or possible freedom. I think it best I chose the latter.

"I accept," I replied, gazing up into the Fire Nation man's golden orange eyes. A feigned sweet smile formed on my lips. "Thank you kindly for your generous offer."

* * *

After I was freed from my cell, I found myself in one of the ship cabins. The room belonged to the old man, whose name I learned was Iroh. He had told me during the walk over there. I also discovered he used to be a general in the Fire Nation army, often referred to as 'The Dragon of the West'.

I had immediately recognized the name. It wasn't something I could easily forget. The name of the general who led the siege of Ba Sing Se.

Memories of fear and panic suffocating the streets of the lower ring flashed through my mind. On that day, that terrifying day, I had been with my friends playing a game of earth soccer. I had just scored a goal when my mom came and collected me, ordering the other children to go home.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when she interrupted our peaceful game. Perhaps more earthbending lessons, which at that moment I still desperately needed. Or possibly some new tones for me to study, as if I hadn't already learned enough. All I know is I certainly wasn't expecting the news of a Fire Nation army attempting to break through the supposedly impenetrable borders of Ba Sing Se.

At first, I grew immensely fearful. If they had happened to breach our walls, which at that point in the war I didn't dismiss as a possibility, then all the innocent citizens would be left defenseless, forced upon the wrath of the ruthless Fire Nation. Then I became unspeakably enraged. As a young girl and even still today, I viewed the entire war incredibly stupid. Sometimes I was so upset over it that I imagined storming into the Fire Nation Palace myself and actually overpowering the Firelord so I could declare myself the new Firelord and finally bring the war to an end. Of course, it was only wild speculation on my part conjured up through anger and frustration. Back then, I wanted so badly to be the hero, to end the war and bring peace to the world, but it could never be so and I knew it.

Anyway, back to the present where I was throwing a mini fit about how Iroh had nearly destroyed my home and all the lives of it's peaceful inhabitants. But as soon as he had mentioned his days in the army, he quickly reminded me that he did in fact withdraw his forces and ended the siege, to which I inquired his reasons. With a lament expression he sadly informed me that during the raging war between the opposing forces, his beloved son Lu Ten had been killed, causing the old general to call off the invasion. It was then that I decided the old man truly a friend, for any other typical Fire Nation man would've continued to fight despite the loss of their only son whom they loved dearly. Iroh was in fact a genuine human being with a heart as pure as gold.

After I shared my condolences, Iroh led me to his cabin, which I found very quaint and, surprisingly, homey. In the back sat two cozy beds, one above the other, with a steel ladder propped against the top bed. Decorating the wall beside the thick metal door was a Fire Nation tapestry, which I had a strong distaste for, and a dimly lit lantern that glowed a light red. Along the ceiling ran multiple pipes of which I could only guess were to supply the ship with an even amount of oxygen and heat.

That was another thing, the interior of the entire ship was at a temperature to hot for my appreciation. After all, I had spent the majority of my life on a frozen continent. Either than that, though, the room was practically empty, save for a bamboo mat lying in the middle of the floor.

Taking a seat on said mat, I was offered a steaming cup of tea from Iroh. Immediately, I recognized the fragrant flowery scent and refreshingly sweet yet at the same time bitter flavor of the pale amber liquid. Jasmine tea or, as I know it, my mother's favorite of all teas. A sliver of a tear pricked at my eye as I recalled her bright forest green eyes that always managed to keep calm even in the midst of a raging storm. Her short brown hair that was soft to the touch, normally kept in a neat bun that complimented her fair skin. What I missed most of all, though, was her heartwarming smile that comforted me on even the most evilest of days.

But all of that was gone, bound by chains, rotting in the clutches of the Dai Li. No, not _all_ of it, I reminded myself. I still had one piece of her left, tied around my neck. It was a gift from her, crafted from the finest materials money could buy. A sleek string necklace with a wooden pendant attached to it. And on this pendant was carved a beautiful image of a flower, highlighted by a bright pearl-white paint.

Many Pai Sho enthusiasts would call it the White Lotus tile; I call it a precious treasure. My mother happened to be quite infatuated with the board game Pai Sho, often insisting I played it with her. I myself could never understand what she loved so much about a simple checkered round board with tiles, but nevertheless I did come to enjoy the game. She loved it so much that she developed a favor over one of the tiles, specifically the White Lotus tile. And so she presented me with the necklace I came to hold so dear to my heart.

Mindlessly, I lifted my hand to grasp onto the tile, as if it would somehow disappear and I would lose my mother all together.

Iroh must have noticed this because his amber eyes drifted down to observe the pendant around my neck. He smiled knowingly and commented, "It's a beautiful necklace."

First I was speechless, my cyan eyes wide and unblinking. But then I regained my composure and kindly thanked him for the compliment. When Katara first noticed my necklace she said it was pretty and that she wished she had one just like it, even though she does have her grandmother's betrothal necklace that was given to her by her late mother. I hadn't appreciated her saying that because my necklace is unique and a symbol of the bond I share with my mother. But it was still better than how Sokka regarded it as silly because, and I quote, "who would make a necklace out of a stupid board game tile."

"Thank you for the tea, Iroh," I said softly. Gently, I placed my empty porcelain cup on the bamboo mat. "I feel so calm and relaxed now." My mother did always say that a good cup of tea soothes the mind. But I didn't get to enjoy my tranquil state for long.

"Uncle!"

The shout entered the room so abruptly, followed by a loud clang as the very irritable firebender from earlier slammed the door open.

"Aaaand good feelings gone," I grumbled sarcastically.

"Prince Zuko," Iroh chided calmly, "you know it is always polite to knock before entering a room." Wait, did he say _Prince_ Zuko? Oh, great. Of all the ships I could've been held captive on it had to be the one that belonged to the Firelord's son. Just my luck.

"Why have you let the prisoner out of her cell?!" he questioned Iroh vehemently. I suppose this was going to be one of those conversations where the two of them talk about me as if I'm not in the room. With that thought in mind, I propped my head up with my arm, my elbow digging into my calf, and sighed indignantly.

"Those chambers are so dull and lonely," Iroh began explaining, "I thought she would prefer to stay in here." He finished off with a wide grin, hoping the prince wouldn't explode in more anger like I guessed he normally did.

"That Water Tribe peasant doesn't deserve our hospitality!" Zuko exclaimed harshly.

Wait a second. Had he just called me a peasant?! What right did he think he had to call me such an insulting name? He has no say in what I do and do not deserve. Prince or not, I was most definitely not going to tolerate such insolence.

Without even thinking, I shot up from my comfortable spot on the ground. "Excuse me! Peasant?!" I screeched almost questioningly, "I don't appreciate you treating me as if I'm some mindless slave willing to subdue to your beckoning finger!" As I ranted on angrily, I practically shoved my pointed finger in his face, ending with a sharp jab to his chest.

Now that I was so close to him, I noticed a large burn scar over Zuko's left eye, the scathed skin raw and tender, and I bet it was just as painful as it looked. The rest of his features, however, were actually quite attractive. What was left of his hair, which I assumed was burned in the making of that scar, was a rich dark brown and tied back into a long ponytail. As I mentioned before, he had piercing gold eyes that glowed like the sun setting on a warm summer day, and his skin was as pale as the snow that blankets my homeland.

The prince's eyes narrowed at my words, possibly deeming them disrespectful, but I truly didn't care if _I_ offended _him_. "How dare you speak to me that way?!" Zuko inquired menacingly, "Don't you know who I am?"

Actually, it may surprise many of you who are, for whatever reason I don't know why, listening to this story to know that I knew exactly who he was. As I've briefly mentioned, my mother made me study a lot, and I mean _a lot_ , especially about things regarding the other nations, even the one we were currently at war with.

So yes, I did know that he was the prince of the Fire Nation and that he had a sister, Princess Azula. They were both the children of Firelord Ozai and Firelady Ursa. Ozai was the descendant of the previous and deceased Firelord, Firelord Azulon and his wife Ilah, and he had an older brother who actually happens to be Iroh, as I had now realized. Though that was just his family tree, nothing significant about Zuko himself. I do recall hearing he'd been banished, which came as a surprise to me, but I thought it just gossip until now.

"Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation, blah blah," I stated mockingly while rolling my eyes, "Son of Firelord Ozai, blah blah. Heir to the throne, blah blah bladdy blah blah." The more times I said _blah_ , the more Zuko's scowl deepened. "I know who you are, Prince Hothead. And if you think some fancy title is going to impress me, then you've got another thing coming." I couldn't help it, how natural it felt to argue with him. Honestly, it felt good, like the weight of all my problems just diminished. Actually, it kind of confused me; I'd never felt in such a way before.

Somehow, I could tell Zuko felt the same. The way he balled up his fists, but didn't hit me, even though he could. How his teeth clenched in a sickening way yet he didn't yell at me, even though he probably normally would. And how steam came pouring out his nose and still, he managed not to throw a fit, even though he really should. I think I had him figured out, at least a bit. Anger was the only emotion he knew how to properly express, which really wasn't good for him, though fun for me all the same.

Iroh stood up and cupped his hands on Zuko's shoulders, slowly turning him toward the door. "Prince Zuko, please calm down," Iroh coaxed, just like he had when we first met just minutes ago. "You need to relax. Maybe you should go to your room and get some rest," he recommended.

"But what about the prisoner?" The prince queried, glancing back at me, his angered expression now softened.

"I will make sure your lady friend doesn't leave this room," Iroh promised, gently ushering the firebender out of the ship cabin. Zuko seemed to consider the idea before giving in to Iroh's request. Just before the door closed completely, I crossed my arms and stuck my tongue out at Zuko sassily, just to satisfy my inexplicable need to annoy him. He responded with one of his famous frowns and glared at me before the door shut all the way.

"What a jerk," I mumbled, just loud enough for Iroh to hear.

"He is my nephew," Iroh stated simply, as if I hadn't just insulted a member of his own family. My eyes widened and I mentally slapped myself. Why hadn't I realized that sooner? I mean, Zuko _had_ called him uncle.

"Did I say jerk? What I meant was..." I stammered, trying to think of something nice I could say about the hotheaded prince. However, the task wasn't exactly a walk in the park. "I got nothing," I sighed before looking up at the retired general apologetically. "Sorry Iroh," I said sheepishly.

Iroh chuckled before saying, "Don't be. I realize my nephew can be a bit..." He pondered the thought, tapping his chin lightly before answering, "...temperamental at times."

"That's putting it lightly," I commented snidely, earning a snicker from Iroh before his expression turned somewhat serious.

"But take my word for it when I say that deep down, my nephew has good in him," Iroh insisted, to which I scoffed at.

"It must be _really_ deep down."

Iroh smiled at me graciously before he let out a thick, gaping yawn. "Well, I'm exhausted. A man needs his rest," he said tiredly. "Would it be okay if I take a quick nap?" he asked. I quietly responded with a nod and before I knew it, Iroh had plopped down on top of the lower bed, falling asleep before I could wish him a good rest. Thunderous snores escaped from his mouth, echoing inside the small metal room.

Now it was just me and the door.

Once again, I rested my head on my hand, glaring at the decision in front of me. The me from minutes before now would've jumped at the opportunity to race out that door, finally free at last. But after spending time with Iroh, even as little time as it has been, I found it nearly impossible to leave him. It would be like I was betraying him, abandoning the old man for the next ferry off the ship. And I was sure Iroh would've understood if did leave, but I just couldn't do that to him.

As I leaned forward, I realized my wavy dark brown hair was still flowing and loose as it draped over my eyes. It always bothered me to have my hair untied because it always manages to fall in front of my eyes, which was why I normally kept it in a ponytail tied at the end with two braids parted on each side of my face. I dug into my satchel, which I never went anywhere without, and pulled a couple hair ties out. Once I retied my usual hairdo, I felt refreshed and at ease. That just left one major predicament for me to figure out.

Luckily, the answer to that problem appeared at the door, practically wrapped in a gift basket. At first, I thought it was Prince Hothead coming back for round two, but was shocked to see that it was actually a certain airbender instead.

"Aang?" I questioned in confusion. Had he been captured like I was? Or maybe he had come to rescue me. For whatever reason it was, he still shouldn't be here. The Avatar was the whole reason Zuko visited our quaint little village, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't so he and Aang could go skipping through a meadow.

"Kori?" he said, sounding surprised before asking childishly, "Have you seen my staff?"

I was about to reply when another booming snort came from a very asleep Iroh. Quietly, I tip-toed out of the cabin, leaving Iroh to sleep in peace, and watched as Aang slowly closed the door while whispering 'sorry' to the sleeping man in a child-like demeanor.

"We need to get out of here Aang," I said urgently, "All the guards will be searching the ship for the Avatar." Aang stared at me with wide youthful eyes, and I realized he hadn't known that I knew his true identity. "I kind of figured it out a while ago," I explained sheepishly.

"You're right," he agreed, "but first we need to find my staff." I nodded in consent, understanding that the glider must hold sentimental value. Plus, how else were we supposed to get off the ship?

We raced through the halls, searching every room we passed by when finally, we found Aang's precious staff. The entrance to the room was suspiciously wide open and leaning against a metal desk was Aang's glider. I noticed two neatly placed Dao swords hung up on the wall behind the glider. I had this incessant nagging in the back of my mind that something bad was about to happen. Observing the scene in front of me more closely, it appeared to be so strange that the staff was placed right in line with the doorway, seeming like bait for an unsuspecting prey.

"My staff!" Aang exclaimed joyfully, his face brightening upon sight of the object. Before I could protest, he dashed inside the room, and as soon as he grabbed his glider, the door suddenly slammed shut.

I reacted fast, jiggling the latch only to find it locked. Instead, I resorted to repeatedly striking the door with my fists and calling out the airbender's name. A voice resonated from inside the cabin, but it didn't belong to the twelve year-old.

"Looks like I underestimated you," the voice said, and I immediately recognized it as Zuko's. A squeaky scuffle coming from the end of the corridor caught my attention, and to my horror I saw two Fire Navy soldiers running straight toward me.

I panicked, seeing as there was no water for me to bend and just metal, metal, and more metal. Just like my father, I had no experience in one-on-one combat and my mother always said I would regret not learning. Turns out, she was right.

The first soldier thrust a ball of fire at me and it whizzed past my head as I instinctively ducked, nearly searing my right shoulder. He went to throw another fireball directly in my face, but I swiftly grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm fiercely, earning a pained groan from the firebender. Then I pressed his arm against his back and, gathering all my strength, shoved him into the wall. His body went limp upon hitting his head against the thick metal.

I stared at the soldier blankly, impressed that I managed to render him unconscious. The second soldier came at me with a spear and thrust it at me to my right, and I just barely avoided being impaled by it. I glared at the soldier furiously. He could have killed me!

Out of rage, I grasped onto the spear and jabbed him in the stomach with it, causing the soldier to stumble backwards, griping his now sore belly. My anger wasn't through yet, though, as I took the spear and snapped it in half. Regaining his balance, the solider sent a crescent of flames at me. Quickly, I dodged the fire by crouching down and then spun around, tripping the firebender from underneath.

I stood triumphantly over the fallen soldiers but dashed away through the hallway upon seeing more men coming.

Soon I found myself out on the deck of the ship, the fresh salty sea air filling my lungs. But I wasn't alone; five Fire Navy soldiers stood before me, slowly surrounding me with their fists raised, prepared to attack. I wasn't worried, however, not in the least. Because all around me was the only thing I needed right then.

I drew up two streams of surging water from the ocean and they spiraled around me into a ring of water. I directed some of the water at two of the soldiers, smirking joyfully as they both slid against the deck in a flurry of water. Then the middle soldier shot two blasts of fire at me and I used what was left of my supply as a shield, the two elements colliding into steam. I was quick to form a whip out of the water, coiling it around the firebender's leg and then tripping him. The other two men were easy to defeat, and I took great pleasure at the sight of them frozen in place like statues.

High above me, I spotted Aang's glider and grinned in delight as the airbender appeared, soaring happily in the air. But the joy was short-lived as I saw Zuko jump from the upper deck, his arms extended outward in an attempt to catch the Avatar. _Spirits, that prince is insane._

Yelling out in anger, Zuko managed to grab hold of Aang's ankle. Aang wobbled in the air, slowly losing control and altitude, before the two plummeted down with a crash. They both tumbled across the deck, Aang's glider closing back into a staff, and soon skidded to a halt. Zuko began rising, an expression of persistence upon his face, and Aang assumed his own fighting stance.

Before either of them attacked, a deep guttural groan from behind distracted them as well as myself. In the distance was Appa, carrying Sokka and Katara mounted on his saddle, and he was actually _flying_ toward the ship.

"What is that?" Zuko questioned, his determined expression molding into one of surprise and shock.

"Appa!" Aang exclaimed ecstatically, his face brightening at the sight of his fuzzy flying friend.

Aang turned around to face the hotheaded prince only to be assaulted by a whirl of flames, deflecting it by spinning his staff around like a baton. However, by doing so, he accidentally propelled himself into the air and landed by the ledge of the ship, precariously bending over the side. The airbender managed to balance himself only for Zuko to fire another blast at him, twirling his glider again to avoid being burned. Two more masses of fire were launched at Aang before he lost his grip on his glider and the object spun away. Aang ducked, spun, and leaped out of the way of blasts and landed on the very edge of the ship, struggling to keep his balance. Zuko hurled the final blow, the fiery impact knocking the young airbender out cold and causing him to fall off the vessel, plunging into the icy ocean.

"Aang! No!" I heard a horrified Katara cry. I as well was full of dread and dismay. On an impulse, I made to run toward the fallen Avatar, but two soldiers held me back.

"Aang! Aang! Aang!" Katara's shrill screams filled my ears, causing my heart to ache even more.

All of a sudden, just as all hope was lost, a humongous spinning water vortex sprouted up from the ocean surface with Aang riding at the top of it, his eyes and arrow tattoos glowing a bright bluish-white, just like the light beam I had seen the other day.

I gasped in amazement as Aang landed on the lower deck, summoning the waterspout behind him. The young Avatar swung his hands behind his head, the water swirling around him, forming a protective circle, before spreading outward across the entire deck, knocking Zuko and several soldiers off their feet. I would've been swept up in the commotion as well, if the awestruck soldiers hadn't loosened their grip enough for me to rip my arms free from their clutches so that I could block the oncoming water. The soldiers, however, were thrust against the walls of the ship cabin.

After using so much energy, Aang collapsed on the ground from exhaustion, his eyes and tattoos ceasing to glow. I ran over to the airbender as Appa descended from the sky, the Water Tribe siblings sliding off his back and racing toward the unconscious Avatar.

"Aang!" Katara shouted, worry decorating her tone, "Are you okay?" She knelt down beside the airbender, holding onto him firmly, and Sokka and I loosely mirrored her actions.

"Hey, Katara. Hey, Sokka," Aang replied weakly, briefly glancing at the two, "Thanks for coming."

"Well, I couldn't let you have _all_ the glory," Sokka stated smugly, to which I rolled my eyes at.

"I dropped my staff," Aang said softly, peering in the direction of said object, which was a few feet away.

"Got it!"

Sokka arose from the ground and bounded toward the glider. Seeing the sore state the airbender was in, I rummaged through my bag and pulled a water filled pouch that, once I froze the liquid inside, turned into a chilly ice pack. While Katara marveled at my bending prowess, even though freezing water is a beginner technique, I gently placed the ice pack on Aang's head, earning a mumbled 'thanks' from him.

From behind us, Sokka let out a disgruntled whine, and I raced over to see what was wrong.

When I arrived by his side, I could see a certain prince hanging off the side of the ship, clasping onto the other end of Aang's staff. The sight was quite hilarious, actually, Zuko attempting to climb onto the deck and Sokka struggling to free the glider from his grasp. I honestly didn't know what to do; laugh or help Sokka.

Finally, Sokka gained victory by repeatedly poking the firebender in the head with the end of the staff the way Zuko had done earlier to him. The prince grunted a few times before finally letting go of the staff, falling along the side of the ship, just barely managing to grab hold of the anchor chain.

"Ha! That's from the Water Tribe!" Sokka exclaimed triumphantly.

The firebender glared up at the two of us, but he was in no position to protest. I found the dangling prince very funny, but at the same time I was concerned for him. After all, if his grip on the chain slipped even slightly, then he would plummet to his certain death, and I never wished for him to die. I only wanted to shut him up, not silence him for forever. So, I did what any decent human being would do and apologized, even though it wasn't my fault.

"Don't apologize!" Sokka disparaged, "A warrior never apologizes to his enemy!" _Oh, so_ now _he says I'm a warrior._ I merely shrugged in response, not seeing the problem with the matter.

Meanwhile, over by Appa, Katara was helping Aang to climb atop his bison's head when three soldiers arose from a puddle and menacingly approached the young waterbender. Katara took a step back and slowly bent a stream of water from the puddle, causing the men to slow down and gasp in surprise at the thought of another waterbender whooping their butts. She swung her arms around in an attempt to whip them, however, only succeeded in freezing a channel of water behind her on the deck, encasing Sokka's legs in ice in the process.

"Katara!" Sokka hollered in complaint from beside me in a whiny voice. He started hacking away at the ice with his boomerang, refusing my offers to simply unfreeze his feet for him. He seemed to be quite displeased with my secretly being a waterbender, which I couldn't blame him for. Instead, I resumed the hike over to Appa, watching Katara with hopeful and expectant eyes.

The soldiers continued to surround Katara and the waterbender turned around, her back facing them. Drawing up another stream of water, she closed her eyes tightly before swinging her arms behind her and whipped around to see that, surprisingly, she successfully managed to completely freeze all three soldiers in ice. Katara backed away cautiously before wheeling around and dashing toward Appa. I pulled her up onto the large saddle while Sokka was still trying to cut himself free by smashing his icy chains with his boomerang.

"Hurry up, Sokka!" Katara shouted urgently.

"I'm just a guy, with a boomerang," the stubborn boy muttered to himself as he freed his left foot. I wanted to slap him for his arrogance. "I didn't ask for all this flying and _magic_!" Finally, he chipped away the last of the ice and scurried up Appa's tail with Aang's staff, frantically crying, "Yip-yip! Yip-yip!"

Sokka settled down at the back of the saddle as Appa let out a rumbling grunt and took flight, flying past the cabin of the ship. I gripped onto the rim of the saddle anxiously, having never been airborne before. It was admittedly refreshing.

On the upper deck, I spotted Iroh at the doorway, rubbing his eyes tiredly and staring up at Appa in surprise, wondering if he was still asleep and dreaming. I waved and smiled sweetly at the old man. The flying bison then quickly soared away from the ship, groaning all the way.

"Shoot them down!" I herd Zuko order, and sure enough, he and Iroh synchronized a firebending move and fired a powerful blast at us.

From above my head, Aang leaped to the back of the saddle, using his glider to send a powerful swipe of air at the oncoming fireball, redirecting it into a cliff of ice. There was a loud grumbling as an avalanche of snow and ice chunks buried the front of the ship. All four of us laughed mockingly as Appa sailed away in the sky.

* * *

"How did you do that?!" Katara exclaimed in bewilderment, "With the water? It was the most _amazing_ thing I've _ever_ seen!"

We were far away from the ship now, Appa soaring lazily through the air while the sun set in the distance, the once bright blue sky now a pale yellow-orange. Sokka relaxed at the back of the saddle, Katara sat with her legs crossed in the middle, I sat opposite of her hugging my folded knees tightly, and Aang was perched on the rim of the saddle at the front.

"I don't know. I just sort of... did it," Aang answered quietly, sounding downcast.

"Why didn't you tell us _you_ were the Avatar?" Katara asked in a serious tone, yet she seemed truly curious. Her hair loops and shoulder tassels gently swayed in the breeze.

"Because..." Aang trailed off, turning his face away from us with slightly saddened silver eyes, "I never wanted to be."

I peered at the child knowingly. I felt the same exact way when I learned the true power of my unfortunately special ability. Though, I wouldn't have imagined that the airbender and I would have _that_ in common of all things.

"I understand what you mean," I said somberly. Now everyone had looked at me in confusion, but I continued to speak, avoiding their gazes. "I felt the same way when I discovered _my_ bending."

"But why?" Katara inquired disbelievingly, "You're such an amazing waterbender."

I stared impassively into her passionate, sapphire eyes. "That's what my father used to tell me," I said, shifting my blue-green eyes to look at my boots, preparing for the big reveal, "And what my mother would say about my earthbending."

As expected, everyone's eyes bulged, gawking at me in even more confusion, especially Aang, who I assumed would be the first to question me, but it was actually Sokka.

"What do mean 'earthbending'? That's impossible!" he stated incredulously.

To prove my claim, I reached into my bag and took out two round earth marbles. They were training marbles, something I used to practice earthbending. I laid them out on my palm and clenched my fingers, and they began to swirl around, circling each other like yin and yang. The trio gaped at me, all sorts of questions racing through their minds, but the one that was asked was one I'd hoped to avoid.

"You're an earthbender! _And_ a waterbender?!" Katara awed in disbelief, "But how?"

"I don't know," I admitted, wanting to know the answer myself, as I stopped revolving the marbles and rested my head on top of my knees. "Every time I asked my parents, they said that it was just by chance. But I could tell they were lying to me," I replied despondently, and continued in a doleful tone, "Now they'll probably never have the chance to tell me the truth."

The siblings looked at me sympathetically; they lost their mother at a young age during a Fire Nation raid and their father had left a few years prior with the rest of the men in the village to fight in the war. But as far as they knew, I merely haven't _seen_ my parents in a long time.

A cloud passed up above us, casting a dark shadow over us, with shafts of shimmering sunlight following afterwards. Since Katara understood how I felt, she decided to further press Aang on the subject of him being the Avatar, which I was thankful for.

"But Aang, the world's been _waiting_ for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war," she disputed.

"And how am I going to do that?" the downcast airbender asked, still averting our eyes. His dull orange shawl fluttered in the wind, his staff resting on his lap.

"According to legend, you first need to master water, then earth, then fire, right?" Katara inquired.

She was, in fact, right. Among the many things my mother made me read about, the Avatar was one of them. It was practically tradition for the Avatar to travel around the world to train with a master from each nation. Aang had already mastered his native element, but the other elements seemed far out of his grasp.

"That's what the monks told me," Aang replied, glancing over at the young water bender.

"Well, if we go to the North Pole, you can master waterbending!" Katara suggested, brightening up a bit.

"We can learn it together!" Aang exclaimed, reclaiming his normal cheerful smile. He would love the thought of spending more time with Katara, though, wouldn't he?

Katara turned around to face her brother, "And Sokka, I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way."

"I'd like that," Sokka responded with a content smirk on his face, "I'd _reeally_ like that."

"And Kori," Katara looked over at me, "You can finally return home to the North Pole!"

"Great," I mumbled somewhat snidely, but no one seemed to notice my lack of spirit. Better for them to have thought otherwise, anyways. There was just one detail that I had a real problem with; the fact that, in my tribe, the female waterbenders were restricted from using their bending to fight. But I let it slide, holding on to the hope that maybe we would be able to convince _someone_ to teach Katara. After all, she is persistent.

"Then we're in this together!" Katara confirmed optimistically.

"Alright," Aang consented exuberantly, pulling out a rolled up scroll from behind him, "but before I learn waterbending, we have some _serious_ business to attend to."

Using airbending to situate himself onto the saddle, Aang opened up the scroll and laid it flat out in front of him, revealing an illustration of the world.

"Here, here, and here," the airbender stated, pointing to three locations, two in the Earth Kingdom, one at the Southern Air Temple.

"What's there?" Katara asked curiously, pointing at the Earth Kingdom on the map.

"Here," Aang pointed to an island off the coast of the Earth Kingdom, "we'll ride the hopping llamas."

I quirked an eyebrow skeptically at the Avatar, questioning his definition of _serious_.

Then Aang swirled his finger over to the Air Nomad temple. "Then, waaay over here we'll surf on the backs of giant koi fish."

Katara and Sokka stared at the airbender in wonder, never before hearing of such creatures, let alone riding them.

"Then back over here, we'll ride the hog monkeys," Aang continued while the siblings glanced at each other irresolutely. "They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"

I peered at the young Avatar's buoyant gray eyes and enthusiastic grin with a dubious expression. "Sounds really... exciting," I remarked sarcastically. Not to mention extremely dangerous, but I don't think that's worth mentioning.

"It is!" Aang insisted gleefully.

And that's how the journey began.

* * *

So, I know this is my first author note, but I just had to say sorry for not updating in so long. I just had this _really_ bad inspiration block for a while, but now here it is, and I made it extra long and detailed to make up for it. Seriously, this chapter is 10,000+ words, not including this author note, so I'm really proud of this chapter. Anyways, hope you like it. Please review. (Only if you want to, I'm not gonna break into your house and force you to write one like some psychopath.) Bye!


	4. The Southern Air Temple

The next day started with a breathtaking sunrise just above a few steep cliffs, rays of golden light reflecting on the surface of the river.

After deciding to join the Avatar in a quest to bring balance and peace to the world once again, Aang insisted that we start off the journey by visiting the Southern Air Temple where he grew up, and on the way we stopped for the night at an island just a couple miles away from our destination.

Katara was hesitant to go, fearful of how devastated the airbender would be if he were to witness firsthand what the Fire Nation had done to his people. But Aang was determined and positively overjoyed to return home after so many years.

Aang woke up bright and early in the morning, bursting at the seams with excitement, and we all started packing right away. All except for Sokka, who was still snuggled in his sleeping bag, fast asleep by the fire pit.

After I fed Appa a load of grass for breakfast, I went to extinguish the fire, which had a column of thin wispy smoke rising from it into the yellow sky. From the river, I drew up a small stream of clear fresh liquid and doused out the still burning sticks with a sizzle.

While I collected the remnants of the campfire, Katara and Aang were preparing Appa for the ride over to the Southern Air Temple. Aang was tightening the reins on Appa's horns while Katara secured our luggage at the back of the saddle.

"Wait 'till you see it, Katara!" the airbender effused enthusiastically, "The Air Temple is one of the most _beautiful_ places in the world!"

"Aang, I know you're excited," Katara spoke cautiously, still concerned about the matter. The waterbender turned around to address the young boy, "but it's been a hundred years since you've been home." Her voice was soft and delicate, like a flower petal, and it conveyed her worry perfectly, yet Aang hadn't seemed to notice.

Aang peered up into Katara's ocean blue eyes, grinning broadly as he replied cheerfully, "That's _why_ I'm so excited!" He was so thrilled that, if Katara didn't select her words carefully, all his happiness would turn on him and destroy the little monk on the inside.

"It's just that... a lot can change in all that time," Katara stated slowly, sounding extremely anxious.

I wondered what the Air Temples looked like presently. In the tones that I've read, they suggest that the Air Nomads were very spirited and in touch with nature. Back then, I could imagine there being luscious plants and fresh mountain air and beautiful intricate structures throughout the temples. Now, without any inhabitants to tend to the vegetation or repair any worn down buildings, the temples were probably a pile of rubble, the air dusty and the plants dry and dead.

"I know," Aang answered merrily, "but I need to see it for myself."

I could tell that Aang didn't want what Katara was telling him to actually be true. It was bad enough that he hadn't seen his friends and family in over one hundred years, and probably would never see them again, but it would've been much worse for him to find that his entire culture truly had been destroyed. He'd most likely even feel guilty for not being there to protect them, a feeling the young boy should never have to deal with. I would know, I've experienced the overbearing weight of regret before, and an innocent kid like Aang doesn't deserve that kind of pain.

The airbender leaped off of his bison's head, using his bending to slow his descent. Tossing the remains of the campfire into the bushes, I clambered up Appa's large flat tail and onto the bison's saddle next to Katara. Aang ambled over to Sokka, who was snoring like a wooly-pig having a siesta.

"Wake up Sokka!" the ebullient boy chirped, "Air Temple, here we come!"

The Water Tribe boy cringed and groaned in annoyance, having been woken up from a peaceful sleep, and griped drowsily, "Uggh! Sleep now. Temple later." Then Sokka shifted around in his sleeping bag, his back to Aang, and went back to sleep, snoring once again.

Aang blinked in surprise, seemingly discontent with the fifteen year-old's attitude, but his expression soon morphed into one of mischievous thoughts. Katara and I watched curiously as the airbender picked up a twig and acted out in alarm.

"Sokka! Wake up!" he exclaimed, dragging the tip of the stick on the sleeping bag in a slithering pattern, "There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!"

Immediately, Sokka's eyes opened wide and he began hopping around frantically while screaming out in horror, still inside the sleeping bag.

"Ahh! Get it off! Get it off!"

In his sudden panic, Sokka tripped over a rock jutting out of the ground and screamed as he fell. "Ahh!" Katara and I giggled in amusement as Sokka slammed into the ground, a scowl forming on his face as he realized it was a ruse.

"Great! You're awake!" Aang delighted, "Let's go!"

* * *

After we finished packing up, Appa began to fly the four of us to the Southern Air Temple. I drifted off into a light sleep after the first five minutes, which was surprising because normally I can't sleep during the day. But the night before I barely got any rest, having continuous nightmares about my parents. Usually they're about my father, but on that particular night, I had dreamt about my mom.

About an hour later, I woke up to the sound of low rumbling.

Beside me, Sokka clutched his stomach, which had been the source of the growling that had woke me up, and pinched his face in dissatisfaction and frustration.

"Hey, stomach? Be quiet, all right?" he huffed in annoyance, "I'm _trying_ to find us some food."

As I sat up, the hungry boy rummaged through our luggage and pulled out a sack that seemed to be empty. Sticking his tongue out in anticipation, Sokka dug his gloved hand inside the bag, only to come out with a few crumbs of food. He glared at Katara and Aang, who were both sitting on Appa's head, and inquired accusingly, "Hey! Who ate all of my blubbered seal jerky?!"

"Oh. That was food?" Aang questioned, sounding surprised. He turned his head to look at the Water Tribe boy. "I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

Though the airbender had apologized, I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice, which made me grin as well.

"You what?!" Sokka exclaimed in shock. The fifteen year-old's eyes then slanted as he groaned, his expression quickly changing to one of hunger and craving. "No wonder the flames smelled so good." I rolled my sea-green eyes at the boy who, at this point I have more than realized, had an unhealthy infatuation with all things concerning food.

Appa ascended higher into the air as he neared closer to an array of mountains. We were really high up now, and I had to force myself not to look down, otherwise I'd feel quite nauseous, due to my slight fear of heights. That was the only problem I had with the giant flying bison, how high he flew. Other than that, I loved riding on Appa, the beautiful sights and the rush of cool fresh air against my skin; I both hate and love it. Aang's enlivened voice drew me out of my thoughts.

"The Patola Mountain range! We're almost there!"

Katara regarded Aang with an uneasy look on her face. "Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders."

"What about 'em?" Aang queried, acknowledging the waterbender with a single brief glance.

"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see," Katara said softly, sounding quite apprehensive. "The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother," she added mournfully, "and they could have done the same to your people."

I've heard the story of what happened to Katara's mother many times before, and I understand where she was coming from. Just like my mother, Katara's mother had been captured, though the reason as to why was a mystery. A group of Fire Nation raiders arrived at the village one day. They took her life away before anyone could stop them. And just like that, they were gone, not a trace that they had been there except for the empty tent she once sat in.

Aang took a second to consider what Katara said. "Just because no one has seen an airbender, doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all," he finally replied, not as cheerfully as he had been before, but rather hopefully. At least he accepted the notion as possible, what more could Katara ask than that? "They probably escaped!"

"I know it's hard to accept," Katara consoled, placing her hand on the boy's shoulder in an act of sympathy. Aang didn't seem to give up on the hope that his people were still alive, though.

The airbender shrugged off her offer of comfort and asserted cheerily, "You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison!" Aang then began to rub his own bison's fuzzy head. "Right Appa?" Appa responded with a throaty grunt, as if in agreement with the young airbender.

"Yip yip!" Aang commanded, and the bison proceeded to ascend up the mountainside.

Appa then quickly turned around the flank of the mountain sharply, causing a strong force of wind to push against the four of us. Aang's grip on the reins tightened and he glanced over at the rest of us. Katara, with her eyes shut, grasped what she could of Appa's fur while Sokka held on tightly to Appa's saddle. I, however, remained calmly in my place, albeit my posture had stiffened slightly. I was too stubborn to let the wind move me; stubborn as a rock, some could say.

The bison soared higher and higher, until finally, he made his way up to the top. Climbing over one last ridge that was blanketed with trees, a large temple revealed itself to us. Winding stone towers and trails carved into the mountain, it truly was a sight to behold. My speculations about the temple certainly did not do it justice.

"There it is," Aang said, carrying a bit of pride in his tone, "The Sothern Air Temple."

"Aang, it's amazing!" Katara praised in awe. Even Sokka was left in wonder, standing up to get a better view.

"We're home buddy," Aang told his bison joyfully, "We're home."

* * *

After arriving at the temple, Appa remained at the base of a stairway while the rest of us traveled into the withered civilization. Aang raced up the trail, often glancing back at Katara, Sokka, and I. Sokka slugged along the path, tire evident in his sleep deprived eyes, while Katara and I were walking at a leisurely pace. It was reassuring to have my feet on solid earth again; down on the ground I was in control as where in the sky, anything could happen.

"So where do I get something to eat?" Sokka asked curtly, clutching his stomach, his expression sagging with annoyance.

"You're lucky enough to be one of the _first_ outsiders to _ever_ visit an airbender temple," Katara deplored in exasperation, "and all you can think about is food?"

"I'm just a simple guy with simple needs," Sokka merely stated.

"Simple indeed," I snickered, earning a brief glare from the fifteen year-old.

In front of us, Aang had paused at the edge of the trail, staring out at the dusty arid land he once called home. We quickened our pace and gathered behind the airbender.

"So that's where my friends and I would play airball," he exclaimed excitedly, pointing to a stadium of towering wooden poles, then shifted his attention to some caves carved into a rock hill, "and over there is where the bison would sleep, and..." The young airbender trailed off, sighing despondently.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked, sounding concerned.

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds," Aang said sadly.

Glancing around, I noticed multiple dead trees sprouted out from the brittle earth, only just a few roots keeping them from crashing over. Even the air resembled the temple's parched state; moisture-less and stale.

"I can't believe how much things have changed." The three of us exchanged a look of sympathy, then moved closer toward Aang.

"So uh, this airball game. How do you play?" Sokka inquired, hoping to distract Aang from his disappointment. It seemed to work, Aang glancing at Sokka, his frown morphing into a slight smile.

* * *

As it turns out, the game airball does in fact involve airbending. The objective of the game is for two players to use their airbending to cause a hollow ball to ricochet among the poles and enter the goal on the other side of the court. A fairly simple game, but it proves to be difficult if you're not a bender, let alone an airbender, like Sokka. So far the score was six to zero, and I bet you could guess who the winning party was.

Aang balanced on one of the wooden beams, suspending a hollow ball in the air with his airbending. The airbender rolled the ball over his shoulders, pitched it from side to side, and then lazily tossed it up in the air.

Sokka, on the opposite side of the court, shifted himself into a defensive position.

Aang smiled innocently at the fifteen year-old before jumping up and kicking with a swift and powerful air swipe. The ball rapidly rebounded off of several poles before crashing into Sokka and forcing him backward through the goal.

I burst out laughing as Sokka was hurled into a heap of snow, landing with a thud. Child-like laughter rang out from behind me and I found that I wasn't the only one who considered the ordeal amusing.

"Aang, seven!" the airbender cheered. He then cupped his hands into the form of a zero while making a circular movement with his whole body, "Sokka, zero!"

From beside Katara and I, Sokka moaned, "Making him feel better is putting _me_ in a world of hurt."

"Well your world of hurt is hilarious," I remarked teasingly.

Sokka began to lift himself up, but stopped short as something caught his attention. He started crawling forward and I spotted what he had noticed. An old Fire Nation soldier helmet lying half-buried in the snow, battered and burned with a few minor infractions. Sokka glanced back and called us over.

"Guys, check this out."

"Fire Nation," Katara stated coldly, the hatred she felt toward said nation evident in her tone.

She was right after all, Fire Nation soldiers had been there before, though who could have denied her. Everyone in the world has already heard about the Air Nomad Genocide. It was an enormous massacre committed by the Fire Nation that resulted in the eradication of the Air Nomads and the fauna that lived in the air temples. All of them, every last of the Air Nomads were destroyed, simply because the Fire Nation was too fearful that the next born Avatar would defeat them and bring an end to the war. Looks like that plan backfired for them, though.

"We should tell him," Sokka insisted. Katara looked at me for my opinion and I gave her a curt nod in response.

"Aang! There's something you need to see," Katara yelled, her voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

"Okay!" the airbender replied cheerfully, bouncing the airball from hand to hand using his bending as he ran toward us.

I caught a glimpse of Katara's determined expression flashing into one of apprehension. The waterbender briefly glanced at the helmet, then back at Aang. Suddenly, she shifted her weight and brought her arms up before swinging them back around, manipulating the overhanging snow to fall down, obscuring both the helmet and Sokka from sight.

Aang stopped in front of Katara and I while Sokka frantically tried to brush the snow off his head. "What is it?"

"Uh..." Katara drawled, trying to think up an excuse, clasping her hands behind her back nervously. "Just a new waterbending move I learned."

Sokka and I exchanged worried looks.

"Nice one! But enough practicing," Aang said eagerly as he began to turn around, "we have a whole temple to see!"

I helped Sokka to his feet as Aang ran off excitedly and swiped some remaining snow off his shoulders.

"You know, you can't protect him forever."

Katara's eyes slanted in sadness at her brother's words and she followed after the airbender.

Aang led us up to the courtyard of one of the temple's many towers, which had a fountain in the middle, the water in it frozen due to the cold climate. While Aang ran ahead of us, Sokka and I decided to confront Katara.

"Katara, firebenders were here," Sokka argued sternly with his arms crossed, "You can't pretend they weren't."

Katara walked past her brother, avoiding both of our gazes. We followed after her as she said stubbornly, "I can for Aang's sake. If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'll be devastated."

"No, Katara! Sokka is right," I reasoned, clasping my hand on her shoulder and turning her around to face me. "Eventually, Aang is going to find out, one way or another. Don't you think it'd be better for him to find out from someone who cares about him rather then on his own?"

Katara's eyes hardened into a slight glare. "He's not going to find out," she said pertinaciously, ripping her shoulder out of my grip and continuing to walk across the courtyard. "I'll make sure of that."

I groaned and clenched my fists in frustration. "But that's not something you can control!" I shouted after the waterbender, but she simply kept walking, never looking back. I sighed in defeat as I thought to myself, _that doesn't mean she won't try_.

"Hey, guys!" Aang said happily, "I want you to meet somebody!" He pointed to a statue of an old monk wearing a beaded necklace.

Even in sculpted form, the monk had a peaceful and overall enlightened air to him. The bushy mustache and fine wrinkles around his mouth only added to his seemingly cheerful and positive aura. In many ways, he reminded me of Aang.

"Who's that?" Sokka inquired.

"Monk Gyatso!" Aang answered proudly, "The greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know." Aang bowed to the effigy of his mentor with deep respect, a nostalgic look on his face.

After a few considerate seconds, Aang finally lifted up his head, a mournful look in his eyes. Katara placed her hand on his shoulder and stated in understanding, "You must miss him."

"Yeah," the airbender responded dispiritedly. Without another word, Aang strolled up a staircase that lead to a corridor behind the statue.

"Where are you going?" Katara asked in curiosity.

"The air temple sanctuary," Aang replied, glancing back at us, "There's someone I'm ready to meet." He then proceeded into the hallway.

Katara peered at us questioningly from over her shoulder, and Sokka and I merely shrugged respectively in response. We all then followed after the airbender down the corridor.

Embedded in the floor of the corridor was a large round symbol of intertwined air currents, the national symbol of the Air Nomads, surrounded by two square shapes that formed some sort of sun together. In front of us stood a large wooden door framed by the branches of an old tree standing on the left of it. The door supported a combination of winding metal pipes which ended in two separate funnels, and three large blue coiled tubes that resembled the shell of a mollusk.

"But Aang, no one could have survived in there for a hundred years," Katara said doubtfully.

"It's not impossible," Aang said optimistically, spreading out his arms at his sides, "I survived in the iceberg for that long."

"Good point," Katara acknowledged, touching her chin with her finger while glancing away thoughtfully.

Aang looked at Katara over his shoulder in excitement and said, "Katara, whoever's in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!"

"And whoever's in there might have a medley of delicious cured meats!" Sokka added eagerly, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, practically drooling over the thought.

Sokka bolted at the door in a rush to open it, but instead simply smacked into it as it would not budge. Quickly, he spun around and shoved his back against the enormous door. When the door didn't move he sighed, sliding down to the floor, disappointed, and slumped against the door in defeat.

The fifteen year-old looked to Aang and asked, "I don't suppose you have a key?"

"The key, Sokka, is airbending," Aang told him.

After we all gave the airbender some space, Aang inhaled deeply and extended his arms out, then thrust them forward, sending an air current into both of the tubes on the door. The wind traveled through the metal pipes and caused the blue curled tubes to flip around, expelling the air out like a horn.

Suddenly, the door unlocked with a click and slowly creaked open.

Aang cupped his hand beside his mouth. "Hello?" His voice echoed inside the sanctuary and he began to enter the dark void. "Anyone home?" Katara, Sokka, and I cautiously followed the airbender.

Inside we found not just one person, but millions of earthen people lined up in a spiraling circular pattern, the entire scene bathed in a bluish light. We continued to wander into the maze of stone bodies, curiously observing each of their beautifully carved faces. I was beginning to vaguely recognize some of them, but I just couldn't put my finger on it.

Sokka halted in front of one of the statues, grousing in dissatisfaction, "Statues? That's it? Where's the meat?"

I rolled my eyes in irritation, having had enough of his complaints of starvation. "There is no meat, Sokka," I remarked in annoyance, "Nobody's in here!" To emphasize my point, I spread out my arms, gesturing to the vacant sanctuary.

"Who are all these people?" Katara inquired, her and Aang standing in front of another statue. I decided to go over and join them.

"I'm not sure," Aang replied pensively, "But it feels like I know them somehow. Look!" Aang pointed to a robed man with airbending mastery tattoos in front of him. "That one's an airbender!"

Katara pointed at the statue next to the airbender, a man dressed in Water Tribe clothes. "And this one's a waterbender." She glanced between the two stone people, and suddenly the connection sparked in her mind. "They're lined up in a pattern: air, water, earth, and fire."

"That's the Avatar Cycle," Aang remarked.

"Of course," Katara exclaimed in realization, "They're Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang."

"Wow! There are so many!" the airbender stated in awe. He began to explore the other statues.

"Well, the origins of the Avatar do historically date back about ten thousand years," I apprised absentmindedly, reciting the names of each Avatar in my mind, the information etched in my brain from countless hours of studying.

"Past lives?" Sokka inquired skeptically, his arms crossed against his chest. "Katara, you really believe in that stuff?"

"It's true," Katara asserted, "When the Avatar dies, he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle."

A few feet away from us, Aang paused in front of a statue of an elderly man with a long beard garbed in Fire Nation clothing. It was the previous Avatar before Aang, Avatar Roku. Aang seemed to be locked in a daze, his wide gray eyes focused on Roku's sightless stone ones.

Katara walked over to the airbender and gripped onto his shoulders worriedly, shaking him back and forth. "Aang! Snap out of it!"

"Huh?" Aang said softly, still slightly mesmerized as he awoke from his trance.

Katara followed the boy's gaze then asked, "Who is that?" I was about to answer her, and I would've, if Aang hadn't beaten me to it.

"That's Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me," he replied, never looking away from the statue. I was slightly impressed that he had known that. Normally, I was the one in the group to go to for trivial questions.

Sokka appeared from behind Aang. "You were a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met."

Katara glanced down at the base of the statue, "There's no writing. How do you know his name?"

"I'm not sure," Aang said softly, "I just know it somehow." I raised my eyebrows questioningly at his words, quite confused at how strange the boy was.

Sokka, too, was annoyed with him, growling irritably with his arms crossed. "You just couldn't get any weirder."

Suddenly, the sound of air being blown through a tube resonated from behind us. We turned around to see a long-eared shadow cast on the ground, slowly but surely making it's way toward us. It kind of resembled the spikes of a Fire Nation soldier's helmet. Immediately, we all ducked behind some statues, Sokka and I hiding behind an earthbender while Aang and Katara were hidden behind the Fire Nation Avatar next to us.

Sokka, with his club at the ready, cupped his hand around his mouth and whispered, "Firebender. Nobody make a sound."

"You're making a sound!" Katara criticized a bit too loudly, and the rest of us were quick to hush her, fearful of getting caught.

"That firebender won't know what hit him," Sokka whispered determinedly, raising his club in preparation to attack. Sokka stood up as the shadow came nearer, then he jumped out from behind the statue.

Unexpectedly, Sokka lowered his weapon and Aang, Katara, and I got up to find out why. Turns out, what we thought was a firebender soldier was actually an adorable little lemur with really large ears.

"Lemur!" Aang exclaimed excitedly.

"Dinner!" Sokka coveted, salivating at the mouth with a ravenous expression.

"Don't listen to him," Aang said to the lemur reassuringly, "You're going to be my new pet."

"Not if I get him first!" Sokka shouted challengingly. The two boys then lunged at the lemur, their arms outstretched, hands ready to snatch up the poor creature. The lemur arced his back in terror, a sheer look of panic on his face. It startled, swiveling around and sprinting away, screeching frightenedly.

"Wait! Come back!" Aang hollered before the two disappeared into the hallway as a chase ensued.

Katara and I glanced at each other, rolling our eyes respectively and sighing in unison, "Boys."

Katara then sauntered over to the graven model of Avatar Roku. After a while, she turned her attention to the statue beside Roku. A very tall woman clothed in a warrior's kimono holding two fans.

"Who is she?" Katara queried in curiosity.

Out of the group, she was the only one truly interested in learning new things about history or different cultures. I appreciated her thirst for knowledge since it gives me a chance to show off how much I know. Not that I take pride in it, just that I like proving to other people that I am really smart.

"That's Avatar Kyoshi, the Avatar before Roku," I replied a bit blandly. Avatar Kyoshi isn't exactly my favorite of all the Avatars, simply because she founded the legion of Dai Li agents, so I'm a little biased toward her. Nonetheless, she was a generally effective Avatar, though her methods were a little unethical.

"She descended from the Earth Kingdom and lived to be 230 years old, making her the oldest known human."

Katara pointed to the statue beside Kyoshi, a man wearing traditional Water Tribe clothing and a polar bear dog skin headdress. "What about him?"

I smiled warmly at whom I recognized as Avatar Kuruk, possibly my favorite of all the Avatars. He reminded me a lot of my father, both being very gifted benders who preferred a 'go with the flow' kind of lifestyle. Though, they did have their differences that set them apart. Kuruk was a very brash and arrogant person and never stopped to consider the consequences of his actions, as opposed to my father, who was a very brave yet sensible person. Due to his careless mentality, Kuruk lost someone he loved dearly to an evil spirit named Koh.

"His name is Avatar Kuruk. He was born in the Northern Water Tribe like me. Though a very capable person, he wasn't a very good leader and died at the early age of 33."

Katara then moved in front of an airbender Avatar beside Kuruk. She wore an orange and yellow robe and a beaded necklace like the one Monk Gyatso had.

"Avatar Yangchen," I said slowly in slight admiration. Of all the Avatars, she was the most determined and committed to her role as the Avatar. Although the Air Nomads were perceived as a pacifistic people, Yangchen was feared for her fierce willingness in doing whatever was required to perform her duties to the world.

"She was a very respected figure, managing to keep balance and peace during her lifetime. She was very eager to make a difference in the world, despite her inexperience."

Katara looked over at Roku's statue again and asked, "What about him? The Avatar before Aang."

I turned around to acknowledge the stone firebender. "Roku? Well, he was a wise and merciful Avatar with good intentions, though arguably he was a bit too indecisive. He died before he had the chance to end the war."

I didn't have much to say about Avatar Roku. After all, we did have him to thank for the war, since he hadn't stopped it before it escalated out of hand. But that doesn't mean I hold any grudge against him, just that I feel he should've done something when he could've.

Katara ambled over to the statue of the firebender, gazing into his blank eyes just as Aang had been doing before. Except, something strange happened this time, something unsettling.

Avatar Roku's eyes suddenly glowed a bright bluish-white, like Aang's had at the South Pole. The glow spread to every single Avatar, even the ones that reached to the top of the sanctuary.

"Aang!" Katara exclaimed worriedly, fear and panic in her expression. We both turned around and sprinted out of the sanctuary, knowing fully well that something had gone terribly wrong.

* * *

When Katara and I finally found the airbender, we saw him surrounded by a raging tornado of air inside a dilapidated building. Hiding behind some debris was Sokka, trying feebly not to be blasted away by Aang's fury. Katara and I struggled against the turbulent winds trying to get over to Sokka.

"What happened!" Katara shouted over the wild uproar.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!" Sokka replied loudly.

"Oh no! It's his Avatar spirit!" Katara said uneasily while bringing her arm up to shield her face. "He must have triggered it! I'm going to try and calm him down!" She then began to trudge against the harsh wind to get to Aang.

"Well, do it!" Sokka shouted in alarm, gripping tighter onto the rock as the air currents picked up in strength. "Before he blows us off the mountain!" I hooked my arm onto the rock and grasped Sokka's arm with my other hand, so as to keep him from flying away.

As Katara fought against the wind currents, the sphere of wind that engulfed Aang slowly started to rise in the air. Katara was pushed back by the strong wind gusts that filled the remains of the building as the sphere ascended higher and higher.

"Aang! I know you're upset and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love," Katara hollered over the unruly winds, a doleful expression on her face. "I went through the same thing when I lost my mom."

I wondered if Aang could even hear a word of what Katara was saying. In that empowered state, who knew what could've been going through his mind.

Sokka and I quickly ran over to Katara, who was holding onto another rock in front of us.

"Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka, Kori, and I! We're your family now!"

The waterbender's words seemed to calm Aang down as he lowered back to the ground and the wind gradually died down. Once his feet made contact with the ground, the three of us gathered around the airbender, his tattoos and eyes still aglow.

"Katara, Kori, and I aren't going to let anything happen to you," Sokka assured in a gentle tone. "Promise."

Katara squeezed Aang's hand in hers, and as soon as she did, the airbender's tattoos and eyes stopped glowing. The young boy collapsed into Katara's arms from exhaustion, a dejected look in his normally cheerful silver eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered weakly.

"It's okay," Katara told him, nestling the depressed airbender in her arms. "It wasn't your fault."

"But you were right," Aang said sadly, "And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender."

Katara hugged the boy closer in an attempt to make him feel better and Sokka placed an empathetic hand on his shoulder.

I knelt down behind Aang and placed a consoling hand on his other shoulder. "You might be the last airbender, but you're not alone," I said, smiling sweetly as the airbender turned his head to look at me. "You have us."

* * *

Katara, Sokka, and I went on to pack up our stuff while Aang stayed inside the temple sanctuary for some time to himself. After we finished packing up, we went to go get Aang. Katara and I found him in front of the statue of Avatar Roku.

"Everything's packed. You ready to go?" Katara asked him.

"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't even talk to him?" Aang inquired softly, his eyes never glancing away from the statue.

"Maybe you'll find a way," Katara replied hopefully.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," I said reassuringly, "You're a smart kid."

A noise came from behind us and we turned around to see the lemur had returned carrying a bushel of various fruits in his arms. He hopped over to Sokka and dumped the fruit in front of the Water Tribe boy. The lemur quickly dashed away as Sokka sat down and started to stuff his face with the food, taking large bites of two different pieces of fruit. Aang, Katara, and I smiled happily at Sokka and for once, I wasn't bothered by the hedonistic eater.

"Looks like you made a new friend Sokka!" Aang remarked.

Sokka shoved some more fruit in his mouth so that he talked with his mouth full. "Can't talk! Must eat!" He then continued to stuff his face.

The flying lemur climbed onto Aang and hid behind his head, his tail curled around Aang's neck. Aang peered at the creature from the corner of his eyes. "Hey, little guy!"

Aang took his new pet outside to meet Appa. The three of them stared out into the sunset together, the lemur perched on Aang's shoulders and Appa standing beside Aang.

"You, me, and Appa; we're all that's left of this place. We have to stick together." Aang told his new companion. He turned to address the rest of us. "Katara, Kori, Sokka, say hello to the newest member of our family."

"What are you going to name him?" Katara asked as the airbender walked over to us.

Suddenly, the lemur leaped off of Aang's arm and snatched up a peach that Sokka was about to bite into. Then he started nibbling on the fruit while Sokka stood there shocked, his mouth still agape.

"Momo," Aang replied in response to Katara's question. The three of us began laughing upon seeing the surprised expression on Sokka's face.

I think I'm going to like this new addition to the group.


	5. The Warriors of Kyoshi

Salty sea air filled my lungs and rolled over my face, freshening my mind and causing my long ponytail to whip around with each current. The morning had been quite peaceful, everyone relaxing in near silence. The only sound to be heard was the rustling of fabric as Katara mended her brother's pants. Nothing seemed to be on anyone's minds, for nobody had uttered even the slightest of noises.

For a long while, my attention had been set on the horizon as the ocean waves rolled by calmly, wondering if we would ever reach our destination, be where it may, since Aang hadn't seemed to know where we were headed. I sighed boredly and leaned against the rim of Appa's huge saddle, eyes still intent on the line where the sky meets the sea. But after sometime, I tired of staring out at nothing, and then nothing after that, and nothing after that. It wasn't until someone finally spoke that I lifted my head, my blue-green eyes widening in interest.

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?" Sokka questioned, pouring over a scroll that depicted the southern hemisphere of the world. My eyes slanted in disappointment, having been hoping for something much more interesting than skepticism to come out of the boy's mouth.

"Well..." Aang drawled, turning his head back to look at Sokka. "I know it's near water."

My face pinched in irritation, frustrated with the barren sea below us. And I found myself strangely upset with Katara, who in the least had something to occupy her attention with.

Sokka glanced around at the vast ocean. "I guess we're getting close, then," he remarked sarcastically. Setting down the scroll, Sokka leaned back, preparing for a long ride. I frowned, not wanting to remain airborne for any longer.

"Momo, marbles please," Aang said to the furry companion on his shoulder. I watched curiously as the winged-lemur dove into the airbender's shirt, rummaged around for a few seconds, then popped out holding two small marbles, which he placed in Aang's palm. "Hey, Katara, check out this airbending trick!" Holding out his hands, the marbles began spinning around very quickly between his palms. The feat reminded me vaguely of my own earthen training marbles. The airbender grinned enthusiastically at Katara.

"That's great, Aang," the waterbender replied nonchalantly, not even sparing a glance at the young boy as she continued to thread the needle through Sokka's navy blue pants.

Aang stopped performing his trick and frowned disappointedly. "You didn't even look," he said to the dark-haired girl sadly.

Katara paused in what she was doing to acknowledge the airbender. "That's great!" She restated, this time feigning excitement.

"But I'm not doing it now," Aang told her, as though it weren't obvious.

"Stop bugging her, airhead," Sokka mediated, casually waving his hand as though to shoo away the airbender. "You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."

Katara instantly perked up at her brother's words, as did I, and not fondly at that. Casting an annoyed frown at the fifteen year-old, Katara asked irritably, "What does me being a _girl_ have to do with sewing?"

"Simple," Sokka stated casually, causing both Katara and me to glower even more. However, he continued without any notice or concern. "Girls are better at fixing pants than guys and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It's just the natural order of things."

By now I had straightened up in my spot, fists clenched, glaring profusely. I thought Sokka had learned his lesson the last time he discriminated against women, but apparently my words had fallen on deaf ears.

Despite the situation, Katara's expression lightened up and she smiled sweetly, holding up Sokka's pants, which still had a considerably large tear in them. "All done with your pants!" She exclaimed sarcastically, "And look what a great job I did!" The young waterbender then tossed the pants at her brother furiously, and I took great joy at the sight of Sokka scrambling to remove the clothing from his face.

"Wait! I was just kidding," Sokka pleaded frantically as he stuck one arm through the hole in his pants, his eyes widening desperately. "I can't wear these! Katara, please!"

"Sorry, Sokka," I said almost apologetically, shrugging with fake concern while I shifted over beside Katara. Then my tone turned somewhat bitter and I even added in a pout. "That's just the natural order of things. Boy says something sexist, girl throws pants in his face." Katara and I then giggled together mockingly as Sokka whined more in protest.

"Relax, Sokka," Aang piped in enthusiastically, "Where we're going, you won't need any pants." My snickers fell silent and I glanced at Aang skeptically, but with faint interest.

"Where _are_ we going?" I asked uncertainly, leaning toward the airbender keenly. "Because I plan to keep my pants on at all times."

"You'll see," Aang replied eagerly, making me frown impatiently once more. The young monk then steered Appa's reins to the left and the giant bison veered slowly at his owner's command.

As Appa sped forward, a huge island dotted with mountains came into view. I grew almost as excited as Aang as Appa descended toward a beautifully blue cove. Once Appa landed, I joyfully slid down his tail, a rush of happiness washing through me at the feeling of slippery ground underneath my boots. Inhaling deeply, I observed a thin layer of snow blanketing the hills surrounding the beach and small groups of barren trees gathered here and there. We couldn't be too far into the Earth Kingdom, from the looks of it.

"We just made a pit stop yesterday," Sokka said as he dismounted from Appa's saddle. "Shouldn't we get a little more flying done before we camp out?"

"He's right," Katara agreed, acknowledging the airbender, who was scanning the bay excitedly. "At this rate, we won't get to the North Pole until spring."

 _Great_ , I thought to myself darkly. I'd been apprehensive lately about getting to the North Pole. On the one hand, Aang needs to master all four elements and as his friend, it's my responsibility to both him and the world to help him. But on the other hand, I feared what would happen when I did return home. There would be no hiding my secrets any longer then, and it terrified me to even imagine how my dear friends would react.

"But Appa's tired already, aren't you boy?" Aang asked innocently, bringing me out of my anxious thoughts.

Appa responded with a soft grunt, as though merely clearing his throat.

The airbender nudged his bison with his elbow. "I _said_ , aren't you boy?"

This time Appa replied with a hearty groan, to which Aang grinned at childishly and gestured to the yawning bison.

"Oh, you poor thing," I stated sweetly in mock worry, "Whatever were we thinking?"

"Yeah, that was _real_ convincing," Sokka remarked sarcastically, but after considering the enormous beast he added somewhat fearfully, "Still, hard to argue with a ten-ton magical monster."

Aang suddenly dashed down the shore excitedly and pointed at the gulf, and Katara, Sokka, and I followed suit. "Look!"

All of a sudden, the calm crystalline waters exploded in a fury of fins and scales. The sight was amazing, and I found that I wasn't the only one gawking at the humongous koi. Just as soon as it appeared the elephantine fish slipped back underneath the surface.

"That's why we're here," Aang explained as he began to disrobe, revealing the blue tattoos inked on his skin. "Elephant koi, and I'm gonna ride them." As he said this, another fish, even bigger than the last, leaped out of the water. "Katara, you've got to watch me!"

Then the airbender proceeded to dive into the water, immediately jumping out again and yelping. "Cold!"

The three of us remaining on shore exchanged skeptical glances, and Sokka expressed his disbelief by twirling his finger near his temple. I merely shrugged in response from beside Katara. Kids will be kids.

I watched with slight interest as Aang waded out further and eventually caught hold of a large dorsal fin. A small smile crept onto my face as the young nomad surfed on the back of the koi fish skillfully. Katara grinned broadly at the feat, seemingly impressed with the airbender. Even Momo began hopping up and down excitedly. It seemed the only bored one among us was Sokka.

From the fish's back Aang waved at us, laughing jovially, and Katara enthusiastically cheered him on. Two more colossal koi leaped out of the water and a race ensued.

"He looks pretty good out there," Katara said to her brother, who in turn gave her an apathetic look.

"Are you kidding?" He said, lazily gesturing to the group of koi fish, "The fish is doing all the work."

A loud crash abruptly sounded from behind us and I turned to see that Appa had uprooted a strange bush from the ground and began munching on the unfamiliar plant.

"No, Appa," Katara shouted, running off toward the bison, "Don't eat that!"

Aang grinned happily at us once again, but soon deflated and I realized the reason being that Katara was no longer giving him her undivided attention.

Casually glancing around, I noticed a dark splotch rising on the surface of the water. Not only that, but it appeared to be pursuing an elephant koi that had been alienated from the group. I shook Sokka's shoulder and pointed to the mysterious silhouette worriedly, never taking my eyes off of Aang.

"There's something in the water!" Sokka shouted in alarm, confirming my fear.

One massive koi attempted to jump out of the water, but was dragged back underneath, a look of terror in its large black eyes. Aang, however, made no notice of the danger behind him, having not a single care in the world.

Having heard the commotion, Katara reappeared at my side, asking uneasily, "What's wrong?"

"Aang's in trouble," Sokka told her, "Aang!"

"Get out of there!" Katara yelled while I screamed, "Come back!"

The three of us then began flailing our arms urgently in the hopes that Aang would notice our panic and return safely. However, he merely considered us to be cheering him on and waved cheerily before suddenly being hurled into the air as the last surviving koi fish fell victim to the strange monster from the deep. After plunging violently into the water, Aang resurfaced and gasped desperately for breath.

An unsettling feeling churned in my stomach as a larger than life dorsal fin rose out of the water from behind Aang, and only then did the full intensity of the situation wash over me. Sensing the eerie presence that had taken its place behind him, Aang slowly turned around and his reaction was nothing short of appropriate.

Screaming in absolute fright, the airbender sprinted away from the leviathan, feet treading water, said creature swerving to pursue after him. It was precarious for a moment, the monster gaining in speed, but eventually Aang made it to land, colliding with Sokka and crashing into a nearby tree. Having lost it's prey, the terrifying beast slipped back underneath the surface, disappearing into the watery depths.

Katara and I raced over to Aang and Sokka, the airbender already up and dressing himself while Sokka was hunched weakly against the tree.

"What was that thing?" Katara asked while I pulled her brother up from the ground.

"I don't know," Aang replied as he tugged his shirt back on.

"Well, let's not stick around to find out," Sokka said, brushing his hands together. "Time to hit the road."

Just as I was about to head toward Appa, more than ready to depart from this awful island, something rough and thick obscured my vision. It didn't take me long to realize that a sack had been placed over my head, and I sensed someone sneaking up behind me. I also sensed a measly puddle at my feet. Without any time to think, I swung my arms at the stranger and bolted away upon hearing a disgruntled shriek from behind me.

I didn't get very far, however, as I was almost immediately shoved to the ground. Nearly all breath escaped my lungs as an immense mass weighed me down and smushed me against the brittle earth. The attacker then proceeded to bind my wrists together tightly.

A chorus of grunts and gasps from the rest of the group ensued after my defeat, and I could hear each of them being tossed to the ground beside me. I sighed deeply in frustration, but soon regretted it as the warm breath welled up inside the sack and pricked at my eyes, causing them to tear up.

"Or, we could stay awhile."

* * *

"You four have some explaining to do," said a masculine voice, although I couldn't see whom it belonged to since my sack had been replaced with a blindfold. At least with the sack I could see fragments of what was in front of me, now I was completely visionless. Plus, the scratchy cloth covering my eyes was beginning to itch. On top of that the rope securing us to what I assumed was a large wooden pole was pressing uncomfortably into my gut. "And if you don't answer all our questions, we're throwing you back in the water with the Unagi," threatened a female voice. At first I was puzzled as to what the 'Unagi' was, but figured she was referring to the ginormous fish dwelling in the bay.

"Show yourselves, cowards!" Sokka shot back defiantly from beside me. Light came flooding back into my eyes, and I cringed at the instant brightness. Once my eyes no longer burned, it became quite clear to me that our ambushers were no cowards. Gathered before us were five confident young women clad in green kimonos, their faces painted white and red accentuated eyelids. Their posture was perfectly unwavering and intimidating, suggesting they were poised for combat.

It was obvious whom of the five was the leader, by show of her distinct qualities, such as the way she positioned herself in front of the small group and her much more elaborate headdress. Even her shortcut ginger hair distinguished her as leader in comparison to the other girls' much longer brunette hair.

Taking in each of the scowling faces, only one really caught my attention. While the rest of the lady warriors were glaring at no one in particular, this individual had her angry brown eyes intent on mine. Staring back at her in blank confusion, I took notice of her smudged face paint and how flecks of it dripped onto her silk clothes. I decided then that her issue lied with me solely instead of the group as a whole.

"Who are you?" Sokka demanded aggressively, eyeing the girls brusquely. "Where are the men who ambushed us?"

The lead warrior stepped forward menacingly at Sokka's words, gesturing to the troop behind her with a clenched fist. "There were no men. We ambushed you," she defended indignantly, "Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?"

I glanced at Sokka pleadingly, silently imploring him not to say anything stupid or better yet keep his mouth shut. Now would be the perfect moment for his arrogance to get the better of him, and I was positive it wouldn't help our case.

"Wait a second," he said mockingly, glancing around in amusement, "there's no way a bunch of girls took us down." I internally cringed as the words left his mouth, and scowled irritatedly at Sokka.

The short-haired girl griped Sokka's collar and shook him around threateningly. "A bunch of girls, huh," she said angrily, "The Unagi's gonna eat well tonight."

Katara leaned forward in her bonds and quickly interceded. "No, don't hurt him! He didn't mean it," she begged, looking at the girl apologetically. "My brother is just an idiot sometimes." The girl glanced between the siblings cynically, reluctantly releasing her grasp on Sokka.

"It's my fault," Aang spoke up from beside Sokka where I couldn't see him, and it was then that I remembered he was there. It would take a while for me to grow accustomed to having the airbender part of my merry band of misfit friends. Spirits know how long it took me to warm up to Sokka. "I'm sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi."

"How do we know you're not Fire Nation spies?" The man countered bitterly. The accusation made me wonder how isolated this island was from the war. They had to be to even begin to think any of us were Fire Nation. From our clothes to Appa and even our skin color, it should be quite obvious that we were anything but Fire Nation. Though who am I to judge? Had I grown up in fear of a tyrannical people striving to dominate the world, I'd probably take no risk in who I trust. As if reading my mind, the man continued on explaining, "Kyoshi stayed out of the war so far. And we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island is named for Kyoshi?" Aang said, his voice carrying a hint of optimism, "I know Kyoshi!"

To this the man responded with a humorless laugh. "Ha! How could you possibly know her?" He glanced up at what I could barely make out as an idol of the woman in question. It seemed to me the colors were faded, but I couldn't see well enough. I hate being tied down. "Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She's been dead for centuries."

Aang paused for a few thoughtful seconds before answering, "I know her because I'm the Avatar." It was no disappointment to see the shock and disbelief on the two leaders' faces. I knew it would take more than a simple claim to convince these people of it. After one hundred years of brutal war without a savior, even I still pinch myself every morning.

"That's impossible!" The girl said dubiously, and I took note that she favored waving her fist for emphasize. "The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago."

"That's me!" Aang chimed. I didn't have to look at the man's mistrustful expression to know his verdict. Even from my standpoint Aang didn't sound sincere enough, like he wasn't taking the matter seriously.

"Throw the imposter to the Unagi!" The gray-haired man commanded, to which the girls immediately reacted. In the blink of an eye, the warriors were advancing toward us, metal fans raised threateningly. The brown-eyed girl seemed particularly gleeful at the idea of our dispense.

"Aang..." Katara said nervously, glancing as far as she could at the airbender, "Do some airbending."

Aang then shot up into the air, causing a swell of dirt to engulf the girl warriors. In one swift motion, Kyoshi's outstretched fan snapped Aang's restraints in half and the airbender gently floated to the ground.

An average crowd began to gather in the square and awed at the Avatar, which reminded me of the villagers of the Southern Water Tribe. The Kyoshi warriors receded in utter shock, and I was relieved to have the girl's unforgiving gaze off me, if only for a moment.

"It's true," The man breathed in astonishment, "you _are_ the Avatar!"

"Now..." For a moment, Aang seemed to take pride in being the Avatar, and I was happy to see him satisfied. But, being the child that he is, Aang took it upon himself to perform his trick again, this time to an eager audience. "Check this out!" Grinning like a fool, he peered at the people present expectantly. He was met with whoops and hollers of excitement. One grown man even squealed passionately, foaming at the mouth, and eventually fainted. Even I smiled, despite myself.

I went to move forward, but was quickly reminded that while Aang was free, the rest of us were still bound. "Um," I called out, just loud enough to be heard over the cheering crowd, "Is anyone going to untie us?"

Immediately I regretted this action, as the sullen girl's grimace snapped back into place. With hesitation, she strode over to us, placing a hand on the hilt of her sword. I flinched as she swung the katana at me, and my heart pounded on even after she slashed the ropes securing us. As the girl stalked away, I stared after her in wonder, rubbing my sore wrists.

* * *

Puffs and cookies, tarts and buns, and other various pastries glazed over in sucrose. The very thought of it all made my stomach twinge. Not that I had a disliking for any of these foods. In fact, the Earth Kingdom served perhaps the finest cuisine I'd ever had in my life. In some aspects they were even better than Water Tribe cooking. But so many sweets so fresh into the day... I could throw up just by the smell of all that sugar.

Though, as I watched the young man who had served us trudge away, sweat glistening on his skin, I realized how ungrateful I was being. He and I'm sure many others had put so much effort into serving us when we hadn't even asked of them such hospitality. Perhaps I could stomach down just one treat.

Of course, Aang had taken much more delight at the richly filled table, as would be expected of any child. "All right! Dessert for breakfast!" He cheered ecstatically. The airbender wasted no time in indulging himself with the decadent desserts. I was pleased to see a mutual reluctance as Katara cautiously picked up an odd-looking orange pastry. Aang continued on through a mouthful of who-knows-what. "These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!"

I eyed an assortment of varnished cakes, but decided against any sugary coating.

"Mmm..." Aang hummed, offering one of said cakes to the waterbender beside him. "Katara you've got to try these!"

"Well," The young girl mulled it over, and seemed satisfied by the proffer, finally coming to a decision. If only I were that decisive. "Maybe just a bite."

The fruit tarts smelled too strongly of sweetness and the cookies glimmered and sparkled. Was there anything that wasn't drowning in sugar? While I was engrossed in my search for the perfect snack, an antsy Momo decided it amusing to hop on my head, completely changing my focus. And then I spotted it. A bowl of steaming pau buns, lightly powdered, warm and fluffy, alienated in the corner of the table. Without hesitation, I quickly snatched the entire bowl, deciding this would be my only meal for the day. Pau buns were easily my favorite treat ever, in all their simplistic glory.

Finally content, I began to enjoy the savory bread snacks ardently, and even offered Momo one as he curled up on my shoulders.

"Sokka, what's your problem?" Aang asked as he leaned over, and I noticed an especially sour-looking fifteen year-old brooding in the corner. Admittedly, it was quite peculiar to see the boy who I knew was a passionate eater wholly ignore the tableful of food.

"Not hungry," he replied tartly with a sagging pout.

"But you're always hungry!" Aang said in surprise.

"He's just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday," Katara said, an amused look on her face.

To this, Sokka immediately came to his own defense, straightening up in his spot. "They snuck up on me!"

Katara turned to her brother with a smug expression. "Right. And then they kicked your butt."

"Sneak attacks don't count!" Sokka defended, striding toward the exit angrily. "Tie me up with ropes! I'll show them a thing or two," he mumbled grouchily to himself, swiveling back around to face us. "I'm not scared of any girls," he grumbled, adding in a wary glance at me that said otherwise. But he continued his petty complaining with no further acknowledgment. "Who do they think they are anyway?" He plucked a handful of sweets in his haste, then swept off again. "Mmm... this is tasty."

"What's he so angry about?" Aang asked Katara, "It's great here. They're giving us the royal treatment!"

"Trust me, Aang. The royal treatment isn't all it's built up to be," I said almost grumpily, remembering the sophisticated civilization I grew up in. I always despised the high-and-mighty culture of my people. There's nothing great about a nation so strong that won't even bother to acknowledge their sister tribe.

"Hey, don't get too comfortable," Katara warned, "It's risky for us to stay in one place for very long." Momo jumped down from his perch, having finished his share, and crawled underneath the table. His paw then appeared groping around for more sweets.

"I'm sure we'll be fine," Aang said, handing his pet another pastry. The lemur briskly seized the treat and disappeared. "Besides, did you see how happy I'm making this town?" Aang turned to peer out the large window behind us. Outside two villagers were propped up on ladders, cleaning and repainting the wooden totem of Kyoshi. "They're even cleaning up that statue in my honor!"

Aang's excitement caused a smile to form on my lips. It wasn't often he appreciated his responsibility to the world, and I was relieved to see him actually glad for once.

"Well, it's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar," Katara said considerately, then added, "I just hope it doesn't all go to your head."

"Come on, you know me better than that," Aang reassured, "I'm just a simple monk." The airbender then stood up and leaned on the window sill. As soon as he did, a chorus of shrill shrieks pealed from below. I got up to see a cluster of exuberant little girls bouncing on their toes at the sight of the Avatar. Aang grinned broadly at the admiration.

Katara appeared beside me, scowling in disapproval. I thought nothing of it until she stuck her tongue out in contempt. Giggling at her childishness, I nudged the waterbender knowingly. She turned her head away, but not before I caught a glimpse of a light blush tinting her cheeks.

* * *

I chuckled as Aang sprinted past me, closely pursued by the screeching young girls. Seems the Avatar had bitten off more than he could chew. But I didn't bother myself with grinding my teeth about it, like Katara. Let this be a lesson to the young monk. And while she was off sulking by the market, Sokka was no doubt intruding on the Kyoshi warriors' training session. So, I took it upon myself to tour the village for the time being.

The town was fairly simple, as were its inhabitants. An old woman rocking gently on the porch as her grandchildren gathered round, eyes intent on her moving lips. Another lady, girlishly young, sweeping graciously the floorboards, dancing along with each step. A middle-aged woman, hairs graying at the roots, sewing delicate patterns into a quilt, fingers maneuvering in a mesmerizing rhythm. All eerily similar to the way of life in the South. Only difference would be that instead of belittling glares, I was greeted with welcoming admirers. Not used to the positive attention, I shied away from the hustle and bustle.

In my haste, I nearly stumbled over two passing bodies, young boys racing each other while simultaneously kicking a small ball to and fro. As I ducked out of their way, I caught sight of a little girl parallel to myself, sighing as she watched the boys wistfully. She sat there all by her lonesome, clearly wishing she could in the game. Something inside me stirred, memories of a simpler past resurfaced, and I was inexplicably compelled toward the girl. As I sat beside her, I felt as though I had always known the child.

The girl snapped her head around, no longer interested in the boys' game. She analyzed me thoroughly, and I took the opportunity to do the same. Light skin, small nose, brown eyes, short brunette hair. What stood out most to me, though, was her choice of clothing. Compared to the preferred fashion of the citizens of Kyoshi, her outfit was quite eccentric. Whereas the other villagers wore attire that was dominantly blue, this girl seemed to favor dull greens and browns. Instead of a dress which would be typical of a girl she had on a simple vest over a white shirt, puffy leggings, and slippers.

After completely examining my features, the girl's posture slackened and a grin stretched across her face. I opened my mouth, but any words formed in my brain had gotten lost on the way. What would I say to this girl that reminded me so much of my younger self?

There was no need for me to speak, however, as the girl gladly introduced herself. "My name is Sumi," she said, promptly shaking my hand. Yet again I found myself opening my mouth, only to be cut short by the eager child. "You're not from around here, are you?" I tried answering her, but she seemed to have come to her own conclusion. "You must be here with the Avatar!" This time I gave it a full five seconds before attempting to reply. Even then it was futile. "What's your name?"

I smiled warmly at Sumi, who it seemed had finally settled her curious mind. She beamed up at me expectantly. "Korowa," I told her, "Kori for short."

"Are you a bender?" Sumi asked attentively, leaning forward with interest. My guess was she was not a bender herself. In fact, none of the people of Kyoshi seemed to belong to any of the elements. It would explain why they were so dependent on the Kyoshi warriors. Of course, I could be wrong, but the notion wouldn't be impossible.

Sumi took great delight at the slight nod of my head and she leaped up feverishly, practically bouncing on her heels. "Do you think you could show me?" She asked with an excited gleam in her eyes. Before I could even give consent, Sumi quickly snatched my arm and, with a surprising amount of strength for an eight year-old, towed me along in the direction of the beach. However, a new voice stopped us in our tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Behind us was a slim figure who had not been there just seconds ago. This girl was, not surprisingly, dressed in a flowing blue dress, sandy brown hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail. Her expression was reminiscent of abhorrence. Something about this disdain felt inexplicably familiar.

Sumi regarded her cheerfully. "This is my new friend, Kori!" She bounded toward the glowering girl, releasing her grip on my hand. There remained the tinge her soft touch left on my palm.

The girl considered Sumi briefly, instead rounding on me. She folded her arms in irritation, eyes flashing dangerously. "What do you think you're doing with my sister?"

So they were sisters. I glanced between the two, observing each of their similarities. While both had the appearance of relation, it bewildered me that these two were siblings. One was lively, communicative, and adaptable; the other bitter, livid, and uncompromising. Sumi was a charming and likable character; there was no doubt in my mind she would certainly make out to be a wonderful new friend. Her sister and I, however, were likely to have numerous falling-outs from this point forward. A concept Sumi had not seemed to grasp just yet.

"She was going to show me her awesome bending abilities!" Sumi said excitedly, unaware of the tension between her sister and myself. This comment was only successful in agitating the girl further, which did not help my case.

"Sumi, head back home. It's time for lunch," she demanded, glaring eyes never moving off me.

"But Sakura..." Sumi whined, to which her sister impatiently hollered, "Now!" The young girl quickly scampered away in fright. That left just me and the girl named Sakura.

We remained motionless in the middle of the road for what felt like hours, though in reality was only mere seconds. But the agonizing silence lasted long enough to unnerve me. That was her plan though, wasn't it? To keep me on edge until just the right moment to strike. She was the venomous viper bat, poised for a deadly attack, and I the unsuspecting dragonfly hummingbird, blindly flying myself into a dangerous situation.

After a long and torturous minute Sakura shifted forward, and I dreaded each footfall as she neared closer. She stopped just before me, her face just inches from my own. I flinched as she spat her words in my face.

"Don't _ever_ come near my sister again."

It was just as simple as that. She was flouncing away in the next second, while I was left frozen in my place. And I didn't even know why she was so furious. But then she halted, addressing me with the slightest turn of her head. I could glimpse a smug look upon her features.

"Oh, and tell your friend we don't appreciate his antics."

There I stood, mouth agape, as the Kyoshi Warrior disappeared around the corner.

* * *

After the dispute with Sakura, I tried distracting myself with helping Katara. Unfortunately, she and Aang were in the middle of their own bickering, and I was left to my thoughts, which I was hoping to avoid. The only thing on my mind was that adorable little girl and her wrathful sister. The Kyoshi Warrior who, for some reason, couldn't stand me.

As I was moping around on a bench, a familiar presence slid beside me. I turned to see that Sumi had returned and, against my better judgment, I welcomed her with a gleeful smile. Then I quickly remembered Sakura's seething face. _Don't_ ever _come near my sister again._ Hastily, I repressed the memory and instead asked Sumi why she wasn't with her sister.

"Sakura has training, so I figured she wouldn't miss me if she didn't know I left in the first place," Sumi explained indifferently, and her casualness made me chuckle.

"Your parents raised quite the little rascal," I said with humor in my tone, but I immediately regretted this as Sumi's shoulders slumped and an air of despair settled around the usually cheerful girl. She stared down at her feet sadly.

"Actually, my parents died when I was two. It's just me and Sakura," she said disconsolately, neither smiling nor frowning, causing a painful tug on my heart.

As I wrapped my arm around Sumi and pulled her close, it dawned on me that this could be the source of Sakura's bitterness. I remember all too well how moody I was after I lost my parents. The prospect that maybe it wasn't really me that Sakura hated was comforting and I drew Sumi even closer. But as soon as I did, I immediately recoiled as, yet again, Sakura ripped us apart, no longer bothering to contain her anger.

"What about 'stay away' don't you understand?" She raged, prying Sumi out of my grasp. The young girl writhed at her sister's side, struggling greatly to twist out of her arms, screeching, "Stop it, let go!"

"No!" Sakura grunted, wrestling to keep Sumi still. "She can't be trusted!" My face contorted in frustration as I helplessly watched the two argue and grapple with each other. This wasn't how sisters were supposed to act, I thought. I couldn't just stand there and let this happen, despite it not being my place to intervene.

"Stop!" I shouted, then paused as both halted in their endeavors to gawk at me. For a long time we all stood in utter silence, Sumi and Sakura watching me as I contemplated my next move. I glanced into Sumi's eyes, frightened yet still curious, then Sakura's, indignant and, odd enough, slightly amused. She didn't expect me to find the courage to stand my ground; she expected me to crumple like a coward. And then I thought to myself, I am a coward.

Before I could assert myself any further, a mass of citizens stampeded past us, scrambling to get into their homes, all the while shrieking in terror. It was then I felt an unnatural disturbance in the atmosphere and I knew whatever it was couldn't be good. Sakura seemed to sense something amiss as well, as she stood protectively over Sumi and scanned the deserted street for any sign of trouble. Suddenly, the head Kyoshi Warrior, Suki, rushed up to us in a panic.

"The Fire Nation is attacking!" She gasped to Sakura and then left without another word. Sakura's expression was first of surprise and shock, but quickly flitted into that of contempt, directed specifically at me. There was no doubt in my mind that she blamed this new peril on me, but she she had something else to consider. Looking down at Sumi, the child's face full of terror, then glancing back at me, she begrudgingly steered Sumi into my arms.

"Hide and keep my sister safe!" was all she said before she rushed off to join the other warriors in protecting the village. And that's exactly what I did, no question about it. Because if there was one thing Sakura and I could agree on, it was that Sumi was way more important than any dispute between the two of us.

I took Sumi and dove into the first building I could reach. The small girl trembled in fear, shielded behind my arms. Only when the soldiers came marching into town did I realize we weren't safe in this building, this _wooden_ building. No one was safe, not as long as the Avatar remained here. Which meant we would have to leave. I hugged Sumi closer at the thought of this and instead focused on the scene progressing in front of me.

Four soldiers had entered the deserted village, mounted on bulky armored komodo rhinos which were just as threatening as their riders. Amoung those soldiers was, of course, Prince Hothead, who surveyed the vacant street before shouting, "Come out, Avatar! You can't hide from me forever!" I didn't dare move even an inch, making sure that both Sumi and I were perfectly obscured behind two barrels. I hoped that as long as Katara, Sokka, Aang, and I stayed hidden, Zuko would become discouraged and leave Kyoshi Island. It was a long shot, but the only one I had. That hope was relinquished, however, when Zuko ordered his men to search the village.

With each step the komodo rhinos took, I cowered deeper and deeper into the darkness. The soldiers had proceeded halfway through the village, with Zuko remaining behind, when suddenly the Kyoshi Warriors ambushed them. Hopping down from the rooftops, the small troop swiftly dethroned the soldiers. I spotted Sakura battling one of the men with her katana, and I had to say that her training showed. For every attack that the soldier threw at her, she dealt two more and soon knocked him out cold.

Suki sprinted past the huge scuffle and headed straight for Zuko. She dodged both blasts of fire Zuko sent at her and she launched into the air, aiming to knock him off from above. Unfortunately, Zuko had just enough time to react and spun his komodo rhino around, the animal using it's tail to sweep Suki awry. The Kyoshi Warrior skidded against the ground, fallen and defenseless. Just before she was fried by another burst of fire, another warrior came to her aid, deflecting the fire with their golden fan. Looking closely, I saw that the warrior was actually Sokka, dressed in a green kimono, his face adorned with red and white paint.

Zuko raised his fists as Sokka poised himself, but no sooner was the prince knocked off his steed by none other than Sakura. The rhino fled from the scene, no longer having a rider on it's back to answer to. Sumi's trembling ceased and she craned her neck to watch her sister. Sokka and Suki joined in the attack, all three warriors cornering the downed prince.

Grunting angrily, the firebender picked himself up and whirled around on his hands, fire spitting out at his ambushers. Sakura hurled backwards into the house and Suki was thrust against a pole, effectively rendering her unconscious. Zuko continued to assault Sokka, eventually knocking the Water Tribe Warrior to the ground, then jumped out onto the middle of the street.

I was fighting a battle myself, struggling to contain Sumi before she did something rash. She even made to cry out for her sister, to which I hastily cupped my hand over her mouth. However, the girl yet again proved to be stronger than she appeared and ripped free of my grasp. Determined, she rushed out from our hiding place, picked up a rock from the ground, and lobbed it at the firebender. The feat reminded me of how I had done the same thing when Zuko had threatened Sokka. Except that, in this instance, Sumi was exposed and helpless to the wave of fire spreading toward her.

Instinctively, fear coursing through my veins, I jumped out from behind the barrels and, just as my heel slammed onto the ground, an earthen wall appeared, shielding Sumi from the flames. I didn't run over to her or even look at her; I knew she was safe. Instead, I was looking at the shocked expression on Zuko's face, his golden eyes darting between me and the stone slab protruding from the earth. Sumi took this as an opportunity to retreat towards safety.

It didn't take long for Zuko to recover, and the aggression in his expression returned. I acted with a certain preparedness, though, and my body seemed to process what was happening before my brain did as I twisted and evaded each of Zuko's assaults. I eventually got tired of defending myself, the both of us dancing an unplanned routine, so I raised a large rock from out of the ground and chucked it at Zuko.

After the firebender went down, I raced over to Sakura without a second thought. She was slightly dazed, still conscious but quite disoriented. There were cuts on her body and other than her dwindling strength, she was fine. Sokka had already disappeared along with Suki, and I decided to get Sakura somewhere safe as well. Picking her up, I opted to head in the direction Sumi left.

While Sakura was still responsive, she wasn't stable enough to carry her own weight, which meant I had to. Though she couldn't have been more than two years older than me, she was still pretty heavy, enough that I could only stumble through the village. Nearly all the buildings were on fire and I had to be cautious of walking too close to the flames.

When I finally did reach Sumi, I saw that she and the rest of the island's children were huddled together inside one of the few unscathed houses. The second Sumi caught sight of us, she raced toward us as fast she could. Sakura moved away from me and nearly collapsed upon her sister as they embraced. After a while, the two separated and Sakura glanced up at me, for the first time with a smile on her face. Without another word, she wrapped her arms around me, catching me by surprise. "Thank you," she whispered in my ear before letting go.

A sudden shout from behind told me that it was time to leave, but just as I got up Sumi pulled me back down. "I don't want you to go!" She cried, tears welling in her eyes. "You're the first friend I ever had!"

I smiled at these words and gently pushed Sumi off me, holding her out at arms length. With a fleeting glance to the group of children in the house I said, "Then I guess it's time you make some more." She grinned at me softly, squeezed me one last time, then stepped back into her sister's arms. I rushed up Appa's tail and the flying bison made no hesitation on hightailing it off the island. Sumi and Sakura waved sweetly at me as Appa ascended farther and farther away.

Zuko's forces began to retreat, leaving Kyoshi to chase after us. But the island was still on fire. Billows of smoke streamed from the village, like dark hazardous beacons. My first thought was of Sumi and Sakura. How would they, along with the rest of the villagers, recover from this? Without our help, they wouldn't.

Aang seemed to have the same idea as me. At first, I panicked when the airbender dived off his bison, free falling toward the ocean. I could only watch helplessly as he plunged into the water, leaning as far as I could over the edge of the saddle. But then he reappeared, riding atop a ginormous eel-like creature. Aang tugged the Unagi's whiskers forcefully, using them like reins. The beast spewed out a torrent of water which rained down upon the village, extinguishing the fires. It then reared its massive head, tossing Aang back into Appa's saddle.

Aang sat down with us, apologizing for his abrupt actions, though he couldn't help smiling widely after having saved all those people. Katara hugged the airbender proudly, causing his grin to stretch out even more and, though I didn't say anything, I felt immensely proud of him, too. I peered back at Kyoshi Island, watching contently as it shrank into the horizon.

* * *

 **Finally! After 8 months I've finally finished this chapter! Wait, it's been that long? And you guys had to wait for more than half a year while I sat around on the couch like a fat lard? Bad author, bad! NO more cookies for you! Seriously though, I am very sorry for such a long wait, and while I would like to say that I have good reason for it... I don't. I'm simply lazy and have little to no dedication for anything. So, I believe apologies are in order. To those of you who, for some reason, have been patiently waiting for me to update, I'm so so so so so so so so so so (I think that's enough) very sorry. Also, I just want to let you know I've changed Kori's father's name from Izotz to Kano. Seemed more fitting. And to those of you who are new to this story... this is awkward. Love you, guys!**


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